"The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is set to open its new Bok Homa casino on Dec. 20 near Sandersville in Jones County.

The controversial casino - dubbed by vocal opponent Gov. Haley Barbour as a "slot parlor" - will feature more than 700 slot machines and a quick-serve eatery. Choctaw tribal spokesman Warren Strain said the casino will have two electronic blackjack tables and one electronic roulette table.

Some perspective is available by comparing the two enterprises.

Mississippi's 30 commercial casinos in 2009 took in $2.465 billion in gross casino gaming revenues that generated $296.34 million in state and local tax revenues.

Commercials casinos pay 12 percent of gross gaming revenue in state and local taxes. Tribal casinos do not pay those taxes.

According to the American Gaming Association's latest national report on the state of gaming in the U.S., Mississippi's commercial casinos had 34,104 gaming machines operating in the state while the Choctaws operated 4,088 machines in tribal casinos. Those numbers are important. Why?"

Get the Story:
Editorial: Casino: Market will settle dispute (The Jackson Clarion Ledger 12/12)

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