MGM's Atlanta Casino Could Look Something Like This

This prototype of a $1.3 billion MGM casino near Washington D.C., which is scheduled to open next year, could give some indication what a similar MGM project would look like in downtown Atlanta — be it at the vacated Turner Field site or elsewhere. As the AJC reports, MGM Resorts International is one not-so-behind-the-scenes player ramping up lobbying efforts to legalize casino gambling in Georgia, and the odds are increasingly in their favor that they might be able to move forward. (Even anti-gambling Gov. Nathan Deal has said he might be cool with Peach State casinos, if a majority of voters should approve). The AJC took a deep dive into the issue this past weekend (paywall alert), examining MGM's successes near Washington, D.C. and the likelihood (or not) that the gambling giant might strike gold in Georgia. With a major airport nearby, thriving convention industry and zero in-state competition, an Atlanta casino would be a wellspring of gaming revenue and jobs, proponents say. Detractors point to the life-wrecking and sin-spawning potential of casinos.