When a casino is invited into a town, it tends to want to bring some of its friends as well. These friends include strip clubs, cheque-cashing sites, and massage establishments. With the opening of the Graton Rancheria “mega-casino” in Rohnert Park, many residents of the town have taken sides as to whether or not the casino will benefit the economy or cause more grief. In what has been an on going battle between locals and casino operators, the town is beginning to see more suffering with the casino than without.
In late 2013, the Rohnert Park City Council attempted to gather public support by proposing moratoriums on these negative public-health businesses that tend to come with casino openings. However, the moratorium proposal is only temporary and will not be enough to stop the influx of bad businesses. These bad businesses will cause detrimental impact on the abundance of small, local businesses that exist today. Rohnert Park will no longer be a gem in the heart of wine country but a main attraction site to tourists who are looking for a good time similar to one found in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. It will become a destination spot for those with bad habits and will attract criminal activity. Within two months of opening, there was a violent crime on an elderly man by two men who sought to rob the man.
With Graton Rancheria also being a tax-free establishment means that it is not charged taxes of any kind which creates a hugely unfair competition to the rest of the public and businesses who must pay taxes. Businesses will begin to go out of business and locals will be given more limited options for shopping and entertainment. In time, we may expect to see Rohnert Park become a town with more strip clubs than strip malls and tourists will outnumber the locals.
