Thousands of people continue to wager millions of dollars at Presque Isle Downs & Casino, but many readers who are calling or writing to the Erie Times-News aren't all that thrilled with the new casino.

Kind of typical is a letter in Tuesday's newspaper from Larry Johnson, who finds it hard to believe that the casino has merited as much coverage as it's received.

"Most people go into business to make money, and I am glad to see the new casino doing well -- not that I ever doubted it would," Johnson wrote. "But enough is enough. If you and the other media want to report on profits, what about a story on the profits made by the convenience stores gouging us for gasoline?"

Yes, the casino has received a lot of ink in the Times-News, but not only is this $250 million complex attracting thousands of people, it employs more than 650 workers. Plus, it's new, and it's something this area has never seen on this type of scale.

As I mentioned in a recent Sunday column, this is a story the Times-News plans to follow on a regular basis. We'll be following the money to see what kind of impact it has on the region. Already, area hotels and motels and restaurants are doing brisk business, which means tourism is positively affected.

I'm sure we'll be following the not-so-happy stories, too, about the ill effects of gambling. But this won't be a story that grabs headlines for a few days -- or weeks -- and then goes away. It will likely continue to compete for news space for the next few years.

Stay tuned.

-- Kevin Cuneo

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