| More Americans than ever escaped fears of terrorism and talk of war by going to the movies last year, seeing an average of 5.7 films each and paying an average of $5.80 per ticket. …president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, said the 1.6 billion tickets sold nationwide made 2002 the best movie-going year since 1957. Ken Ritter, Associated Press, LV Sun, 3-5-03 In the meantime some casinos are taking steps to protect their customers. For the first time ever, going to a casino can be compared to going to the airport: be prepared for delays and searches. The largest impact could be on riverboats; riverboats are also regulated by the Coast Guard in addition to normal gaming regulation. In the most dramatic example of wartime security, though not the most important example, even the annual Oscar's award ceremony succumbed to the anxiety of war and terrorism and peaked into and under cars, bags and character facades looking for guns and bombs. The state's two Indian-run casinos are taking precautions against potential terrorist attacks as war with Iraq looms. Foxwoods Resort Casino near Ledyard and Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, two of the world's largest and most successful casinos, are checking cars and trucks and inspecting baggage of hotel guests. The casinos also have implemented a host of other security measures. Associated Press, Boston Globe, 3-19-03 Uniformed State Police officers, baggage restrictions and car searches on Thursday became as much a part of casino business as slot machines and blackjack tables. Casino employees went on a heightened state of alert as the start of war in Iraq raised fears of retaliatory terrorism in this country. "We're checking cars that come into valet and have a security person at the turnstile in our parking garage checking cars," said Tom Davis, Sands Casino Hotel president. Joe Weinert, Press of Atlantic City, 3-21-03 Riverboat casino gamblers might find themselves standing in long, slow entrance lines someday soon, waiting to prove their identity and maybe get frisked, too. Those gamblers might also be forced to exit en masse if riverboat casinos are forced to close during high-level terror alerts. Those draconian measures, including random searches of customers, are among 38 pages of tentative rules the U.S. Coast Guard is considering to implement the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Rick Alm, Kansas City Star, 3-25-03 The red carpets were tossed and the press was not invited. There's righteous amusement in juxtaposing the frivolity of Hollywood with the horrors of war, but the truth is that everyone involved in planning Oscar fetes knew that whatever they did would be immaterial to history. … A platoon of security guards used mirrors to check the undercarriages of arriving cars, and a team of amiable-looking German shepherds had fun -- their tails were wagging -- sniffing bumpers and fenders. Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle, 3-24-03 The gaming expansion that threatened, or was it promised by the result of the last election, has not quite materialized as of yet. A quick summary from USA Today indicates nineteen states are considering expanded gaming. Nineteen states are considering proposals to add video slot machines at racetracks. Twelve are studying whether to introduce or expand casino gambling, and four are debating lotteries. …Some states are seeking profit-sharing arrangements with Native American-owned casinos. Larry Copeland USA Today, Yahoo Business, 3-5-03 |
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