Search

[KBCraig]

Gambling belongs in Branson, as much as Sponge Bob belongs in Silver Dollar City. 

I don't gamble, but I don't care if other people do. A casino does zero damage to me, and does not offend me. I do not care if there is gambling in Branson, nor anywhere else.

But... I do think laws outlawing gambling, and especially those that permit only restricted gambling in selected places as allowed by politicians and bureaucrats, are wrong and should be repealed.

[Copper]

Here is what maybe a SDC urban legend... When SDC built the Showboat it was originally a venture with Kenny Rogers, SDC had already partnered with Rogers and built the Grand Palace and Grand Village.  The story goes Rogers wanted to name the boat The Gambler, but SDC wasn't going for it.  I have also heard that behind their back he had the boat rigged for gambling.  Again this is all SDC folklore, not sure how true it is.  I do know that the plans for White River Landing, the area where you pick your Showboat tickets up was supposed to be expanded to include more shops and restaurants.  Also a second boat was to be built and was to be the masculine boat of the two.  There were also plans for a hotel.  Not sure what happened their, I can guess since the Grand Village never took off like they expected plans were canceled. 

Back in the 1990s the gambling debate was heating up and several people including the Herschends put a stop to it, but not everyone was opposed to it.  Mel Tillis' theatre on Hwy 248 now Tri-Lakes Center was built for gambling.  The giant lobby was designed to eventually include table games and slot machines.  Tillis did all this while he spoke out against gambling, we had a really interesting discussion in my Religion in the Ozarks class at school.  I have also heard that the big gold theatre (Remington) on 76 that is now a church is capable of gambling too.

Here is some news...  The Showboat Branson Belle is getting an all new show next season and the interior of the boat is going to receive some TLC.  And Todd Oliver will be getting his own show at the Jim Stafford theatre.

I am not opposed to gambling, but gambling in Branson would really hurt all the small mom and pop restaurants and hotels.  I think it would be great for a select few, but would eventually eat away at all these small family owned places we love.

[Junior]

The loss of the mom and pop businesses really started in the 1990's. The 60 Minutes piece started corporate America's big interest in Branson, in my opinion. I love the big shopping centers, but if you take a close look, there are many vacant storefronts...very many...some slots in the shopping centers have NEVER had a client to lease them. Many of the abandoned or vacant buildings and projects around the area need TLC. Properties need to be mowed and spruced up, or torn down. How many years has the old Holiday Inn at the top of Fall Creek Road, or the old Silver Fountain Inn across from it sat there empty? Big projects like Branson Landing apparently are on unstable financial legs. Though many would oppose it, if the "machine" that is in place in Branson retooled for gambling, it might give a shot in the arm to the area. But how much sense does that make if you are abandoning your core audience? (Families, veterans, patriotic and religious conservatives.)

[mogal10]

You know there is one license up for grabs right now in the State of Missouri.

[oldsdcer]

I seem to remember a few years back that some Indian tribes were claming some anceistral  land on Table Rock and were considering making a gambling palace there.

[Ozark Outlaw]

It would be interesting if see if Taney County allowed gambling, but Stone County did not, or vise versa. Both counties share property in the Branson area.

Hypothetically speaking, I wonder how the area would be affected if one county started allowing gambling, but the other county did not? Would one county be affected negatively, while the other is affected positively? Or would it have no direct impact on either county? Oh the questions! 

[Junior]

If not an Indian casino, how about an Indian smoke shop? Or a "firewater" shop! Me call myself Chief Lottahocky...me give the white eye some of his own medicine back...me give him blankets slightly used by smallpox victims, that'll teach him!  (No, wait, slow suicide is best...try the smoke shop and casino...bleed him dry of his wampum!)

[joecorn]

Gambling will attract a different demographic of Branson visitor. I will leave it to everyone to decide for themselves if a link between casinos and pawn shops, strip clubs, check cashing services, and massage parlors exist.
According to some stats I just googled, cities with casinos have crime rates 80+% higher than non-casino communities. Honestly, this decision needs to be made with time and polling. The Branson C of C should poll a wide selection of visitors to see if they would continue to visit Branson if gaming options were available. .
I'm convinced that the positive economic impact could be exceeded by development of a NASCAR track. Branson is one of a very few places in the US with enough hotel rooms to accommodate a track as well.

[Ozark Outlaw]

I say leave the gambling to Las Vegas. Branson has been successful for generations with a formula that works. Why try to bend over backwards to be another Las Vegas? Branson should stay true to itself which is good old fashioned family entertainment. 

[KBCraig]

Gambling will attract a different demographic of Branson visitor.

The main demographic of casinos is "tour buses full of seniors".

This differs from Branson... how?

[U Smell Smoke]

I think it's interesting we are discussing the possibility of gambling coming to Branson, one of the most family friendly vacation spots in the world.  If my memory serves correctly, it seems like a few years back Las Vegas was trying to position itself as more of a family friendly vacation destination.  It seems Vegas gave up on that approach as I don't think it worked out very well. Play to your strengths.  I think there are better ideas to widen the appeal of Branson to more folks than gambling.

[betamike]

I have also heard that the big gold theatre (Remington) on 76 that is now a church is capable of gambling too.

True, true and TRUE!  I was busy at work in Branson during this time and we all thought this would have opened with gambling against the "committee's" will (the committee being the phantom committee of Roy Clark and others that we always heard made the thumbs up and down decisions on the strip).

The first act in the Remington?.....Wayne Newton.  Once he realized that this was indeed NOT Vegas, he didn't stay for very long.

[Junior]

Poor ole Wayne was not embraced by the powers that be in Branson. He offered to make a big donation to College of the Ozarks and they rejected his offer. I had never heard of the school EVER turning down a donation before. I think he gave the money to a charity not connected to Branson. I also remember he spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000 on a piece of property at Ozark, MO that he erected a triple wide mobile home on. Then he added a big wooden deck with a swimming pool around the outside of the trailer. I think the property might have been lost as part of Newton's bankruptcy a short time later.

[dorsal]

The problem with gambling (besides those already voiced) is that it always means rows and rows of slot machines.  I'd look on the idea more favorably if they just put a few poker and blackjack tables at each venue.  That would be more 1880-ish.  I can't see it at SDC in any way, though.  Not unless the gaming was for free food vouchers or something similar.  That way, it would mostly be for fun and to enhance the theme, not to get rich quick.

[KBCraig]

We just watched "Maverick" (the 1994 movie with Mel Gibson and James Garner), for the first time in several years. That would make a great theme excursion for a steam boat: just toss any cheaters over the side. 

It's funny that fans of that movie (with its cameo cast of Nashville stars), and "Branson people" overlap close to 100%. But let someone actually wager on a card game, and watch the same crowd erupt in protest.