Casino coming to Jax?

Zac T · July 14, 2021, 11:49:29 AM

It looks like Las Vegas Sands may be setting their sights on Jacksonville for a resort-casino

QuoteA spokesperson said the company was "contemplating various options with no intention to violate the recently passed Compact/revenue sharing agreement" with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Documents obtained by Florida Politics show the political committee, Florida Voters in Charge, has two pitches for the ballot that both point to Jacksonville as the new target for a resort-casino.

One proposed amendment would authorize up to three existing cardroom license holders to offer full-fledged casino gaming if they're located at least 130 miles away from tribal lands and the owners agree to spend no less than $250 million on development and construction costs.

The other proposal would allow for up to three new casinos in the state. The gambling licenses, which would be put up for competitive bid, would require the new facilities to be located at least 100 miles away from tribal lands. Applicants would also have to show they would spend at least $500 million on development and construction.

...

No matter which option Las Vegas Sands picks, the only major metro that ticks all the boxes and would be financially viable for such an investment is Jacksonville.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/441083-las-vegas-sands-looks-to-bring-casino-gambling-to-jacksonville/

jaxjaguar · July 14, 2021, 12:47:33 PM

Makes sense. About half of the cities with an NFL team have a casino within 1 mile of their stadium. If Jax wants to build up downtown and attract more people a casino would definitely do it. Although I'm not a casino person I think it would be great to have one downtown. Anything to give people a reason to visit / stay helps at this point.

BridgeTroll · July 14, 2021, 01:14:29 PM

PLEASE

Ken_FSU · July 14, 2021, 03:10:41 PM

Bring it on.

Could this be the secretive Fairgrounds plan?

thelakelander · July 14, 2021, 04:03:14 PM

I'm for it and please put it downtown, Sports District, etc.

Jagsdrew · July 14, 2021, 04:33:24 PM

100% needs to happen, Sports district makes sense

BridgeTroll · July 14, 2021, 04:47:48 PM

Can you have a casino within 10 blocks of a Baptist church?

CityLife · July 14, 2021, 05:12:27 PM

Actual gamechanger, both literally and figuratively.

jcjohnpaint · July 14, 2021, 06:29:36 PM

I remember they just finned the one in Pittsburgh when we first moved down here. They also completed the T lie station. Pretty nice place. Not into gambling, but it would be nice none the less.

jaxlongtimer · July 14, 2021, 10:42:35 PM

Just curious, when does the gambling market get saturated? Seems they overbuilt in Atlantic City. Do all casino's automatically thrive?

If it were to be a "resort casino" I can only imagine that at a beach location, not in town.

Do Four Seasons guests like to gamble

?

Ken_FSU · July 14, 2021, 11:59:53 PM

Quote from: jaxlongtimer on July 14, 2021, 10:42:35 PM
Do Four Seasons guests like to gamble ?

FWIW, Las Vegas Sands does own a Four Seasons hotel/casino development.

And Vegas Sands was heavily involved in NFL owners meetings when the Raiders move to Las Vegas was being vetted.

So, as one of only a handful of Four Seasons and NFL franchise owners in the world, it's not a stretch to think Khan has crossed paths with Vegas Sands.

Said it above, but the more I think about it, the more The Fairgrounds sticks out as a possible spot, assuming this ever happens. It is downright weird how few people seem to know the specifics of the Fairground discussions that have been taking place since late last year with the Jags. Even people who are normally in the loop. The best I could ever get was that the plan was complimentary, rather than competitive with Lot J and the Four Seasons/Shipyards.

Sure feels like casino could fit that bill.

jaxoNOLE · July 15, 2021, 12:13:20 AM

NPS land swap, FL DEP land swap, breadbox loans, and now a statewide ballot initiative...if this is Jags-connected, never can anyone accuse them of taking the path of least resistance in pursuing their developments.

I'd love to see it happen, but statewide ballots are expensive and unpredictable.

WarDamJagFan · July 15, 2021, 05:08:51 AM

DO. IT.

JeffreyS · July 15, 2021, 07:23:24 AM

Just make sure it is part of a real multi entertainment resort.

CityLife · July 15, 2021, 07:33:46 AM

Quote from: jaxlongtimer on July 14, 2021, 10:42:35 PM
Just curious, when does the gambling market get saturated? Seems they overbuilt in Atlantic City. Do all casino's automatically thrive?

If it were to be a "resort casino" I can only imagine that at a beach location, not in town.

Seminole Hard Rock in FTL/Hollywood is 20 minutes from the beach and the Tampa location is 45 minutes from the beach (10-15 minutes west of downtown). A casino would likely get quite a fight from the Beaches communities. Plus, there are easier opportunities to assemble land and go higher vertically downtown, not to mention the location along I-95. Hard Rock Hollywood is right off the turnpike and Tampa is right off I-4, for instance.

If one comes to the Jax area, downtown is the logical choice, but it's also possible they locate it somewhere else along I-95 where they can easily assemble a large tract of land.