West Memphis voters decided last week to expand the city's gambling opportunities to include what are called "electronic games of skill."
Games of chance, like slot machines, are illegal in Arkansas, as well as Tennessee. Electronic games of skill include video poker, where the player has the ability affect the outcome.
As West Memphis prepares to make the changes, many Memphians are wondering how the Bluff City will be affected.
Currently, the only legal way to gamble in Memphis is through the Tennessee Lottery. Some citizens have expressed interest in turning The Pyramid into a riverside casino, but Pyramid officials say that is a long shot.
Jeff Flay, the box office manager at The Pyramid, said there are not any prospects of converting the building's half-million square feet of usable space inside into a casino.
"It would take a state constitutional referendum for The Pyramid to become a casino," Flay said. "It would be the same process as when Tennessee got the lottery."
But even if a referendum were passed, the chances of West Memphis gambling attracting a casino to Memphis are still slim.
David Ciscel, a professor of economics in the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, said Tunica's success with casino gambling makes a Memphis casino unnecessary.
"On-site gambling has permanently moved to Tunica County," he said.
Ciscel also said Tunica's close proximity adds to his doubts of a casino here.
"Tunica is a good distance," he said. "It is far enough away that it's not a blight on the community, but if you need to sin you can get there in 45 minutes."
One concern of the prospect of a casino in Memphis is the danger that the city's large student population may get in over their heads if gambling is more easily accessible.
Ciscel said he does not see that as a real problem.
"College students don't usually have a lot of money to risk gambling away," he said.
He also said that students at The University of Memphis are more likely to work at a casino than gamble. He estimates that 500-700 U of M students work at a casino.
"The jobs at the casinos are good," he said. "They offer a lot for students as a good place to start a career."
Ciscel also said that the new gambling laws will probably do little to bring money to West Memphis.
"It may barely keep the dog track alive," he said.
He added that people rarely go to a casino just to gamble.
"They also go to eat, drink and see a show," he said. "West Memphis isn't doing any of that."
Ciscel also said the lottery can be a way for gamblers to learn how to gamble.
"The lottery is like training wheels for your gambling bike," Ciscel said. "But it is usually enough to quench the thirst."
