Letter: Why Gaming Inc.’s popularity is hurting

Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007 | 1:26 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun's Sept. 12 article, "We already pay a lot, casinos say in wave of ads":

Let's try to get it straight from the start. The gaming industry pays nothing in taxes. It is the gaming market that pays. Once that's understood, then you can have an intelligent discussion about the level of gaming taxes.

I have never been a fan of launching the gaming tax deep into double digits because , despite all the hype and hustle that have made Las Vegas an icon, we are still in the middle of nowhere and people must want to come here. If we don't give them the best value for their recreation dollar they will find better alternatives. A double digit gaming tax stands a very good chance of making us noncompetitive.

The problem is , most people I talk to no longer accept that position. They point out the large increases in room rates. The skyrocketing costs of food and entertainment. The billions being invested overseas, not to mention the $900 million in corporate welfare for so-called "green" tax breaks.

Gaming Inc. in Nevada has become a classic oligopoly of corporations, the biggest of which seem to have decided their primary constituency is the government of China/Macau or the sheiks of Dubai.

If any of the proposed gaming tax increases get to the ballot, it's possible the gamers will find they have alienated the people of Nevada to the point of no return.

Knight Allen, Las Vegas