Letter to the Editor

Benefits of a casino

Prior to retirement, my last duty station with the Missouri State Highway Patrol was as an officer with the Missouri Gaming Division. I was aboard the casino located at Caruthersville for over two years.

A casino's main source of income is from the small betting patron who visits the casino for entertainment and not for the delusion of breaking the house or striking it rich.

Prostitution or other vices won't be tolerated on or near the casino. The officers of Missouri Gaming Division and the Cape Girardeau police will work together and keep a vigilant watch for such activities.

Missouri is one of the strictest and most difficult jurisdictions in which to obtain a gaming license. The Gaming Division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol regulates and oversees every aspect and operation of a casino from the general manager to the janitor. The owners and general operating officers go through intense background investigations. All employees will be interviewed by the patrol and questioned in depth about their background. There will always be one or more troopers on board during gaming hours.

A casino will bring hundreds of jobs to Cape Girardeau. Many of these new employees will become residents purchasing housing and other goods and services. Besides payroll there are other considerations such as health insurance and secondary income. When I retired in 2002 many of the dealers made, with tips, above $30,000 a year.

A.V. RIEHL, Jackson