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Below, please find my OP ED from today's Atlanta Business Chronicle which can be accessed at
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2011/12/16/wanna-make-a-bet-lets-let-the-voters.html

Viewpoint

Wanna make a bet? Let’s let the voters decide

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by Robb Pitts

Date: Friday, December 16, 2011, 6:00am EST

The leaders of this state are taking a huge gamble with Georgia’s future. For years, they have refused to allow voters to consider the legalization of casinos and horse racing. The refusal to explore other revenue streams has allowed state coffers to wither. It seems that Georgia leaders are betting that Georgia residents’ disapproval of gambling is greater than their need for jobs and tax revenue.

I say that we all lose that bet.

Just two weeks ago, Coca-Cola Enterprises CEO John Brock, of the Metro Atlanta Chamber said “jobs, jobs, jobs” are the Chamber’s top priority. And with good reason — the unemployment rate continues to hover around 10 percent. Foreclosures and loss of health insurance are directly tied to joblessness, and are leading to desperation for many Georgia families.

I have no doubt that Mr. Brock is sincere in his desire to see job growth for the region, as I am. But if jobs are a priority, we have to wonder why our leadership isn’t actively pursuing — or even considering — casinos and horse racing as a desirable source of jobs for our residents and revenue for the state.

Recently, the Spectrum Gaming Group completed its VLT Blueprint Study, conducted on behalf of the Georgia Lottery Corp. The study shows that the establishment of three casinos in Georgia could create thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in state revenue. In fact, just one casino in downtown Atlanta could generate up to $791 million in gross revenue in 2014 and create thousands of new, high-paying jobs. Additional locations in Savannah and Jekyll Island could add millions more in state revenue and thousands of additional jobs.

Already some state lawmakers are lining up to oppose horse racing during the 2012 session of the General Assembly. We have to ask ourselves, why are they opposed? Perhaps they don’t want to publicly acknowledge that their constituents are actually quite interested in gambling.

Let’s remember that gambling isn’t defined by what is wagered — it’s the wager itself that defines gambling. The fact is that gambling was legalized in this state in November 1992 with voters’ approval of the Georgia Lottery. The refusal to allow other kinds of gambling is really hypocrisy disguised as semantics. Whether you’re betting a dollar or a nickel, a bet is a bet. From the Georgia Dome to every small town football game, gambling is happening in offices, homes and other locations across this state.

As a matter of fact, our own Gov. Nathan Deal recently engaged in a “friendly wager” with the governor of Louisiana over the SEC championship game. Gov. Deal lost that bet when the Georgia Bulldogs fell to the LSU Tigers, and he had to send some barbecue and Diet Coke to Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Let’s be real: Georgia residents, like many Americans, enjoy gambling. Thousands and thousands of Georgians visit casinos in North Carolina, Mississippi and Las Vegas every year. They spend money on travel, hotel rooms, restaurants, and, yes, gambling. We need to keep some of those dollars here — creating jobs for Georgia residents, feeding our families and bringing in revenue for services that we want and need.

We have already seen that the Georgia Lottery alone can’t keep up with demand for the HOPE Scholarship. They had to scale back funding and tighten requirements for Georgia students this year, for the first time since the HOPE Scholarship was established.

After looking closely at the facts, I’m willing to make a bet of my own. If we can muster the political gumption to allow the voters of this state to consider casinos and horse racing, they will show up at the polls to tell us how they stand on the issue — just as they did for Sunday alcohol sales.