May 6th 2024.
Residents of Georgia are expressing their concerns about the introduction of gaming machines in grocery stores and the potential negative impact it could have. The popular chain Kroger has recently installed these machines in some of its locations, as reported by Fox 5. These machines offer prizes and require coins to begin playing, but unlike traditional gambling machines, players do not receive cash for their wins. While Kroger claims this is part of a pilot program, citizens in the South Fulton area are worried about the consequences.
Many people, including business owners and political leaders in the community, believe that these machines are a way for Kroger to exploit people for profit. This is especially concerning for the South Fulton area, which is predominantly made up of Black residents. "I think it's a bad image for our neighborhood and for this side of town. I'm trying to understand why this particular store was chosen," shared resident Felicia Conn-Payton in an interview with the news outlet. She added, "If they want to increase revenue, they should upgrade the store instead. We don't want to see gaming machines in a grocery store where families are just trying to do their shopping."
South Fulton Councilwoman Natasha Williams Brown has also taken action by contacting Kroger's corporate office to address the potential negative consequences of these machines. "Introducing machines like this can lead to unwanted behaviors in the community and cause problems, such as illegal payouts," she explained.
However, Kroger maintains that their intentions behind installing these machines are not to cause distress. In fact, a portion of the earnings will go towards Georgia's Hope Scholarship program. They also clarified that the machines will not be prominently displayed in the store and will be placed in partitioned areas that are not visible from the outside. "The locations of these machines were chosen with our customers' convenience and safety in mind. They are separated from store traffic and not visible from the outside," a representative for Kroger stated. "We are also excited to support the Hope Scholarship Program, which benefits thousands of Georgia youth every year."
Despite the potential benefits, elected officials are still pushing for the removal of these machines, as they believe the risks outweigh the rewards. In related news, Nas has recently collaborated with Resort World Casino in a $5 billion project.
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