Introduction
In 1992 there were two legal "riverboat" casinos in Mississippi. By mid-1994 the State was home to at least thirty casinos, and applications were on file for up to fifty more. 1 In fact, at one time a new casino opened in Mississippi about every two weeks. 2 Mississippi recently passed the $ 1 billion mark in gambling revenue to make it the third-largest casino gaming jurisdiction in the United States, trailing only Nevada and New Jersey. 3 Mississippi already has more casinos and more square feet of casino floorspace than Atlantic City 4 and may
surpass Las Vegas in the not too distant future.
Gambling casinos have changed the appearance of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, enriched very poor communities, and provided much-needed funds for state, 5 county, and city treasuries. 6 Tourism has benefited, unemployment is down, a few lucky gamblers have made a great deal of money, and many retail businesses have prospered. 7 On the negative side, personal bankruptcy is up, more Mississippians are becoming addicted to gambling, and crime is on the upswing. 8 In some parts of the State the cost of living is on the rise, there are housing shortages, traffic problems have multiplied, drainage and sewage systems are strained, and social services are struggling to keep up with a growing homeless population. 9 All the while the gaming industry is facing problems relating to over-saturation and is bracing for the impact of legalized gambling in neighboring ...