MGM Resorts International proposed a $1 billion gambling complex for downtown Atlanta in 2015 and although the entertainment conglomerate was in “the very preliminary stages” of analysis, here’s what we know about MGM's pitch:
1. The project could generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue to support the HOPE scholarship, helping to ease the fund’s struggle to keep up with scholarship demand, and would create 3,500 jobs.
» Is this what a future Atlanta casino might look like?
2. Possible locations for the project include sites near the Georgia World Congress Center site, the current site of the Georgia Dome and the Gulch.
3. The 23-story hotel and casino at MGM National Harbor near Washington, D.C., is MGM’s model for the Atlanta resort.
4. Economic Development Committee Chairman Ron Stephens, introduced legislation last year that would would legalize casino resorts in Georgia. On Tuesday, the AJC reported that a compromise to legalize casinos in Georgia is moving ahead in the state Legislature, with a scaled-back effort that would allow two gaming “resort destinations” — one in Atlanta and one in either Savannah, Columbus or Augusta.
5. Past proposals to build casino resorts in DeKalb County, Gwinnett County and Underground Atlanta faced stiff opposition, and ultimately fizzled out. But, the Jan. 24 AJC report shows new details are confirmed on casino legislation in Georgia.
6. Although Atlanta is home to the world's busiest airport, and is one of the country’s biggest convention destinations, it is among the largest metro areas in the country without Vegas-style gambling.
Click here to find out more about MGM’s proposal, and the possible obstacles it faces.
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