[BigV]

re: casinos "... don't produce anything"

are you similarly down on other entertainment venues? theaters? sports teams/venues? what about service based businesses? they don't "produce" anything, but they're popular.

I'm not down on casinos, though I agree with you in that they're money funnels channeling money away from the community to some larger entity with a minor amount of frictional/operational loss (wages, etc) along the way. When I gamble in a casino, I consider it part of my entertainment expenses. I go to have some fun, eat, see the sights or a show, get out, etc. The money spent gambling is the price of the excitement of the possibility, however remote, that I might win big!!! (tm).