Who will pay for the casino?

The odds of winning the Powerball Jackpot are 1:195,249,054. To put these odds in a more understandable perspective, consider 195,249,054 pennies laying flat in a line along the centerline of an interstate highway. Interstate 40 extends from Barstow, Calif., eastward to Wilmington, N.C. Incredible to most, this line of 195,249,054 pennies (16 pennies equal 1 foot) would extend eastward from Barstow along I-40 to within a few miles of Winston-Salem, N.C.

When a dollar is paid to play the Powerball lottery, the odds of winning the jackpot prize are comparable to walking along this 2,311 mile line of pennies and selecting the one, designated prize-winning penny.

A few years ago the political leaders of Missouri proclaimed that "games" like this would be very good for the people of our state. Now, the political leaders of our city are advocating that similar casino "games", admittedly with better odds, will be good for our citizens.

Who will pay for this purposed $125,000,000 investment in our city, its annual city, state and federal taxes, and its annual payroll and benefits for the purported 500 workers? From whose pockets will come the profits the casino will take out of our city? All these millions of dollars will be paid by area citizens who enter the casino, lay down their dollar and take that long walk in search of an illusive prize.

The odds are overwhelmingly against the players in this game. They will pay all the bills.

J. WENDELL WYATT, Cape Girardeau