Officials Vow to Fight Video Gambling in SA

[Clandestino]

This would be great for Texas. We would have less people flying to Vegas and bussing to Louisiana to gamble. They could gamble in state and keep their money here. If we could have full casinos it'd be even better. San Antonio would be a great place for it!


LAST UPDATE: 2/10/2005 9:42:47 AM
Posted By: Jim Forsyth

With several bills in the legislature supporting the legalization of video lottery terminals all over the state, San Antonio city officials and Riverwalk leaders say they will fight any attempts to place the high tech slot machines in tourist spots, 1200 WOAI news reported today.

One of the video lottery bills specifically requires terminals to be installed 'in the San Antonio area.'

"I don't think they'd have a chance in San Antonio on the Riverwalk," said Downtown Owners Association Executive Director Ben Brewer.

Greg Gallaspy of the Paseo Del Rio Association agreed.

"We don't want any gambling on the Riverwalk in any shape or form," he told 1200 WOAI's Bud Little.

Downtown city councilman Roger Flores, Jr. said gambling on the Riverwalk would be 'inappropriate.'

Bills to allow video poker have failed in the past, and the platform of the Texas Republican Party, which controls the Governor's office and both houses of the Legislature, formally opposes the expansion of gambling as destructive to families.

But House Speaker Tom Craddick, the most powerful political leader in Texas, isn't closing the door on the issue.

"I don't know which these bills do, we'll have to see," Craddick said.

Craddick said all video gambling proposals will be combined when they reach the House Ways and Means Committe. Officials estimate cash strapped Texas could raise as much as $1.2 billion a year from legalizing video gambling. The proposals call for the proceeds to go to various items, including property tax relief and school funding.

"Things like legalized gambling simply don't fit on the Riverwalk or anywhere in San Antonio," Flores said.

Brewer said any prohibition of video gambling on the riverwalk should extend to other parts of the city.

"We wouldn't want to see them on the streets of downtown, either," Brewer said.

[SPARKY]

If it's anything like what was down in Kingsville forgetaboutit. A word of advice: if any of your buddies are engaged to a girl from the Valley tell him to break it off.

[Clandestino]

If it's anything like what was down in Kingsville forgetaboutit. A word of advice: if any of your buddies are engaged to a girl from the Valley tell him to break it off.

Haha... Mexican girls are a handful!

What was down in Kingsville?

[SPARKY]

Actually, she was as white as the driven snow.

Nothing was in Kingsville save for those video gambling parlors. Nothing but people sitting around them with their kids with a tobacco smoke haze hanging. Most depressing scene ever.

[bigzak25]

ok spark, gimme the scoop....when/where was this gambling scenario in kingsville? and what happened with snowwhite? thanks. :smokin

[SPARKY]

Well the video gambling rooms in Kingsville are shut down and Snow White is a happily married teacher living in Dallas.

If you are down with learning a little bit about the King Ranch then making the trip to Kingsville can be worthwhile, but trust SPARKY when he tells you that there is nothing else there. But he does recommend that you make the short drive to King's Inn. Good seafood and a nice view of Baffin Bay.

[bigzak25]

i went to A&I from 92-97.....i know there aint shit there but a walmart, heb, and hopefully, a ride to corpus on the weekends.....never went to the ranch though, and i don't recall gambling machines...either before my time there or after obviously.

[SPARKY]

...and apparently no strip clubs. Probably the worst bachelor party I've been to ever: sitting in a motel room talking and turning in at 10pm.

I bet the proximity to Corpus would make living there survivable.

[SPARKY]

The gambling rooms were all organized as alleged charitable operations, at least that was the story they told when I was down there in the summer of 03. Texas Monthly has an article in this month's issue I think which gives the history of those rooms and the efforts of the sheriff to shut them down.

[MannyIsGod]

I'm torn. On one side, I think if someone wants to gamble their money way, feel free.

On another, I know that increses in crime etc etc are associated with casinos.

Whatever, if they want to let people play video games with money, feel free.

[SPARKY]

All I saw were families sitting around watching mom and dad smoking and blowing their money away gambling.

[Hook Dem]

All I saw were families sitting around watching mom and dad smoking and blowing their money away gambling.
It happens every day in Vegas(absent the kids). Gamblers are gonna gamble regardless of where it is. This state is missing out on a multitude of tax dollars going to Louisiana, Mississippi, & Vegas. Maybe when we finally get a state income tax, people will be a little less goody two shoes. We're just fighting the inevitable. Meanwhile, those other places prosper. I don't care one way or the other.

[SPARKY]

It's the Feb '05 issue of Texas Monthly (p.44) with Tom Craddick on the cover for anyone who gives a damn. If you don't I can understand. I'd post the article but I don't feel like forking over $40 for a subscription to their website.

Apparently Kingsville's police chief cracked down on the game rooms but then they came back with another format and now it's in the courts...

[Nbadan]

I support gambling in Texas, but city leaders are right when they say that gambling on the River Walk would be all wrong. Casinos would suck up all the money, and kill the crowds at more family-oriented places. It wouldn't take long before SA would have it own version of Bourbon Street, only with river-boats of obnoxious drunks floating down.

Instead, I support the creation of a TIFF district between Downtown and the SBC Center on Houston street patterned much like Bourbon Street in N.O. in order to help rejuventate this long-neglected area. This TIFF would include upscale bars, movie-theaters, restaurants, up-scale shopping centers and yes, video-machine gambling.

[Clandestino]

gambling needs to be made legal in texas... right now, all the offshore sites are raking in millions... vegas is growing by leaps and bounds because of itl... all the states who reject it are just fighting a losing battle...

[Jekka]

gambling needs to be made legal in texas... right now, all the offshore sites are raking in millions... vegas is growing by leaps and bounds because of itl... all the states who reject it are just fighting a losing battle...

fair enough, but you can't just do it the same way Nevada has it. You need to regulate it in some form to protect certain places.

[Nbadan]

fair enough, but you can't just do it the same way Nevada has it. You need to regulate it in some form to protect certain places.


True dat', but the money raised must be used for three purposes...

1. Basic Health care for all Texas citizens including habitual gamblers and state facilities for the mentally-ill, so we don't have to house them in county and state prisons.

2. City services, including more city sweepers and trash pick-up, increased recycling efforts and more city Parks, museums, theaters, and an expansion of the city Zoo.

3. Toll Roads. Nuff said.