I wonder what Impact the Casinos are having on the Vicksburg NMP? 10 years ago I was invited to attend a conference in reference to a study of Vicksburg being done by the Vicksburg NMP and sponcered by the US Senate. In that conference it was pointed out that the economic impact of the Vicksburg NMP of the city of Vicksburg was estimated to be in the neighborhood of $400,000,000 annually during the 1990's. I am wondering how much of that economic Impact, if any, the Casino's have replaced with ther economic impact on the community?
I am wondering if the Visitor numbers have decreased for the Vicksburg NMP, in the last 10 years or so, since the casino's have moved in? Newtons law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Now I know that is a Physics formula, but it would also seem to apply, in my opinion, to tourist. Most tourist only has so much time and so much money to spend during a given visit. The Economic impact of $400 million dollars on the city of Vicksburg generated by the NMP was based on Hotel occupancy, food, gas and other such expence during a given vist to the Battlefield. Those same factors are going to be present in a visit to the Casino as well. So which is the more important to the community in the form of revenue, the Casino or the battlefield? And how can you measure that impact?
In other words I would believe that more people will want to gamble that will visit a Civil War Battlefield. In that case the battlefield is the loser in the Econimac Impact comparisons and therefore can be replaced in its importance to the community if you build more casino's.