Politics & Government
POLL: Should There Be A Coney Island Casino?
Marty Markowitz wants Cuomo's proposed casino in Coney Island.
With , Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has his eye on the famous Brooklyn theme park as a location option for table gaming, according to The Brooklyn Paper
“I commend Governor Cuomo for...his support for a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling, which would bring jobs and revenue to potential locations in New York City, especially Coney Island, which is a natural," Markowitz said in a release.
“It could be the savior for Coney Island as a major destination,” Dick Zigun, founder of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, told The Brooklyn Paper. Zigun added that Brighton Beach and Gravesend used to be major gambling locations, until gambling was banned in 1910.
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"Anything and everything gambling was legal, from Three-Card Monty to betting on horses," he said.
Elected officials have pointed out the down side to the casinos as well.
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"People get addicted to gambling; it's a problem," Councilman Domenic Recchia told The Paper. "I just want to make sure that people in the community don't get hurt."
Sheepshead Bay Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz cited a 1999 study showing that areas within 50 miles of a casino have a 50 percent greater instance of gambling addiction, in addition to an increased bankruptcy rate.
"We might be looking at an economic engine that could generate over a billion dollars annually for the state," said Cymbrowitz. "We are also looking at a substantial increase in problem gambling."
