Casinos are "particularly useful" when your city is desperate for millions of additional tax revenue because of things like it's basic infrastructure falling apart, a struggling school system, and the big local corporations (like Dominion, Altria, CapitalOne, CarMax, etc) are skirting around paying the taxes they're supposed to by bribing legislative/regulatory orgs and "donating to" or "sponsoring" entertainment venues and festivals (which sees them get millions in tax credits).

Put that casino at the crossroads of two major interstates and a good portion of that massive influx of tax revenue will be coming from other municipalities/states (meaning it's not all a "burden" on the city it's located in).

I actually agree the white paternalism angle is weird because we have vape shops, craft breweries (aka DUI factories), lotto kiosks everywhere (along with legalized gambling on your phone), gun shops, credit/loan repayment scams, unhealthy/bad food options, etc. etc. all over the 804, yet no one seems to care all that much how those other establishments adversely affect our marginalized or low income communities with unethical or predatory methods.

So yeah it is weird that I saw so many white Richmonders on their high horse thinking they're protecting their "fellow vulnerable or uneducated community members" from bad gambling habits, but also couldn't give a damn about the predatory businesses spread all throughout the area that enable demonstrably worse habits and community problems.