Research Institute Looks at Impact of Gambling on Erie Economy
Conference set for August 23
With MTR Gaming Group on its way into Summit Township with a racetrack and slots parlor, Erie County will soon be facing the issues that come with horse racing and gambling. Are we gambling with our future? The Economic Research Institute of Erie (ERIE) will consider that question and more at its fifth annual conference, planned for Tuesday, August 23, at Penn State Behrend.
“Gambling will bring a lot of change to our region, both on the economic and social sides,” said Dr. James A. Kurre, director of ERIE and associate professor of economics at Penn State Behrend. “We’ll be better prepared if we know what to expect, and our three keynote speakers this year will help us understand what’s coming.”
One of the keynoters, Dr. William N. Thompson, is a professor of public administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he has taught since 1980. He is the author of The Last Resort: Success and Failure in Campaigns for Casinos (U. Nevada Press, 1990), Legalized Gambling: A Reference Handbook (ABC-CLIO, 1997), Gambling in America: An Encyclopedia (ABC-CLIO, 2001), and several others. He has written about gambling for many newspapers, and has appeared as an authority on the topic for NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Nightly News, and many other news programs. He has been quoted in Time, Newsweek, the Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, and more. His topic will be “The Economic Impact of Slot Machines for the Erie County Area.”
Those who attend will also hear from Randall Childs, an economist with the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University, who specializes in regional economic modeling and economic development research. He developed an economic impact statement for MTR that demonstrated the many ways it impacts the Chester, West Virginia area in which it is located. In addition to conducting economic impact studies and labor market studies, he oversees the information services of the bureau including databases, data profiles, and Internet services. For this conference, he will be addressing the role of gambling in economic development and the changes it will bring to the broader local economy.
The final of the keynote speakers is John Sorrenti, former County Commissioner of Hancock County, West Virginia, where the Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort is located. He served as commissioner for 18 years covering the periods before and since the MTR resort's opening.
"As a now-retired three-term elected official, he's in a unique position to talk about the warnings and expectations of local residents before the 'racino' was built, and the broad range of economic and social impacts it has had on the local community," said Kurre.
In addition to the keynote speakers, Kurre will present an overview of the Erie economy, and Dr. Barry Weller, past director of ERIE, will present “The National Economy and New Erie Forecasts.”
The cost to attend “Gambling with Our Future? The Impact of Gambling on the Erie Area” is $149, with a special rate offered for those who work for nonprofit, government, or economic development agencies. The conference includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and materials related to the presentations. To learn more about the event or to register to attend, call the Black School of Business at 814-898-6560.
ERIE was established in 1982 as an applied research unit of the Sam and Irene Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend. More information about Erie’s economy is at www.ERIEdata.org.