Pollies putting ludicrous spin on second casino
WHEN is a casino not a casino?
When it’s about to be proposed for the Gold Coast. And politicians are talking.
In which case it’s not a casino, but a “Global Tourism Hub”. Or an “Integrated Resort Development”.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones is very anxious that the Gold Coast should secure such a facility.
So anxious, in fact, that she will be in Las Vegas this weekend to meet the likes of MGM Grand and Caesars Entertainment to discuss what use they might make of the licence for a second casino on the Gold Coast.
Boxer Jeff Horn is in Sin City this weekend too to take on Terence Crawford – presumably the sort of event Ms Jones hopes a Vegas-style casino would bring to the Gold Coast.
But what Ms Jones does not like to do too often is use the “c” word itself: “casino”.
In fact, she is at pains to insist that gambling is almost an afterthought in “Global Tourism Hubs”.
“Let’s be very clear, the whole point of Global Tourism Hubs is to move away from gaming being the main source of income,” Ms Jones said.
“Instead, the focus is on new and exciting tourism infrastructure – particularly in the entertainment, retail and hospitality space.”
Let that sink in a moment. Ms Jones is seriously asking us to accept that the granting of a second casino licence on the Gold Coast would represent a “move away” from gaming.
One wonders if Ms Jones will make the same point to MGM and Caesars executives.
And if she believes Las Vegas is home to “Global Tourism Hubs” where gaming is a secondary concern then she is in for something of a surprise.
Casinos are the lifeblood of the town. It would be ridiculous to suggest otherwise. When Martin Scorsese made his classic Vegas mob movie, he called it simply Casino. ‘Global Tourism Hub – The Movie’ probably wouldn’t have done so well at the box office.
What we are witnessing here is political spin of the most ridiculous kind. Attempting to suggest that a second casino for the Gold Coast has little or nothing to do with gambling because there is entertainment and dining tagged on insults our intelligence.
It is akin to suggesting my local pub has little to do with beer.
Then again, Ms Jones probably wouldn’t call it a pub. Because it has a pool table and plates up a decent chicken parmigiana she’d surely label it a “multifaceted entertainment venue.”
Ms Jones’ fellow casino enthusiast, Mayor Tom Tate, has been taking lines from the same book of spin.
Asked about his views on the matter, Cr Tate said: “I support a second Integrated Resort Development. It’s important to understand this is not purely about a casino.
“The worldwide trend is for IRDs to focus a lot on the entertainment, as well as the culinary experiences. The casino aspect is almost secondary.”
It’s hard to escape the feeling that this PR nonsense is an early effort to soften opinion towards a second casino. Calling it a Global Tourism Hub or Integrated Resort Development is simply disingenuous.
We already have a global tourism hub – it’s called the Gold Coast.
If Ms Jones is really interested in boosting tourism to the Coast, why is the state government not engaging constructively with council to deliver a cruise ship terminal, or actively supporting plans for a cable car to the Hinterland?
Such projects would genuinely add something new to our tourism offering in a way that a second casino would not.
But neither would ensure the same flow of revenue to state coffers, in need of serious topping up to fund the salaries of the 20,000 new public servants hired by Labor.
That being said, we should certainly not dismiss a second casino out of hand, especially when detailed proposals have not yet been produced.
It may well be that whatever plans are ultimately put forward are good for the Coast – especially if the granting of a second casino licence comes with a host of terms and conditions designed to give tourism a real boost.
However, the way the process has been spun already doesn’t exactly fill one with confidence for what is to come.
And there are many reasons to be wary.
The Gold Coast has a severe gambling problem, and the last thing we need to do is add to it.
And although our city is growing fast, it’s very questionable that we can support two major casinos.
When the final proposal is announced, expect Minister Jones and Mayor Tate to trumpet the jobs and revenue it will generate.
But there is a real concern that instead of witnessing new jobs, we will create job and revenue displacement.
A new operator in town brimming with fine dining will not be welcome competition for existing restaurants, which have been struggling mightily across the Coast of late.
Witness the many closures in Broadbeach, Hope Island and Coolangatta.
The revenue pie also has its limits. If people are spending their cash in a second casino instead of their local club, then far more deserving causes than MGM Grand or Caesers Entertainment will suffer.
All these are issues that must be debated.
But that debate should be conducted in an open and frank manner, devoid of nonsensical political spin.
Treat us like grown-ups and call it what it is – a casino.