Casino

Each day this week, The Providence Journal will pose and answer questions about the proposed West Warwick casino. Readers are invited to submit their own questions at projo.com. We will select representative questions to answer in The Sunday Journal. Past questions can also be viewed online.

Q: Other than gambling, what else would there be to do at the casino?

A: The casino would offer a spa and pool, have 55,000 square feet of meeting, ballroom and entertainment space and offer several restaurants and shops.

Q: How will people get to the casino?

A: Harrah’s says it will pay to build new highway ramps, providing direct access from Route 95 to the casino. The company also says that there will be no back-road access, except for emergency vehicles. Harrah’s has not said where those ramps would be or shown what impact the extra cars might have on traffic. Harrah’s would also build a parking garage for 4,000 cars and have surface parking for 1,900 cars.

Q: How many people a year would visit the casino?

A: Harrah’s says 5.1 million trips will be made to the casino; 82 percent from out-of-state residents. This is up from an estimate two years ago of 4.3 million visits a year, 70 percent from out of state. In those two years, the proposed casino has grown from a $600-million project to a $1-billion complex.

Q: How much does Harrah’s expect each gambler to spend at the casino?

A: On average, Harrah’s says gamblers will lose $110 during each trip.

Q: Would the casino bring jobs?

A: Harrah’s says the casino would create 3,500 construction jobs, 3,800 full-time jobs and an unspecified number of part-time jobs. Casino opponents, however, say local businesses would close and be forced to lay off workers.

Q: How much would the casino jobs pay?

A: Harrah’s says its jobs would have an average base salary of $28,429. Harrah’s would not say how many people would make more or less than that. Workers on average could also expect $4,989 a year in tips and a $1,200 bonus. Harrah’s would also spend on average $12,850 on health care, disability insurance and retirement contributions for each employee.

Q: Who would own the casino?

A: A Harrah’s subsidiary would own the casino but the Narragansett Indian tribe would have an opportunity to purchase it after 15 years.