If there is one type of property that has sadly been on the increase in recent years, it is vacant and abandoned shopping malls, and it is true to say that no matter which US State you venture into you are going to find empty and no longer used shopping malls.
So one would imagine that any proposal to bring back to life such places, albeit in a different form, should be commended and supported, however that is certainly not proving to be the case with the vacant Bristol Mall.
There has been a proposal put forward to convert the Bristol Mall into a casino, and there would of course be a lot of knock-on benefits of doing so, as the venue would employ many hundreds of people from the surrounding area, would attract visitors there and would also prove to be a valuable stream of income for the town.
But as is often the case when any proposed casino is being discussed, many people voice their disapproval at such places, and it would appear locals in Bristol are certainly not happy with the thought of a new casino on their doorstep, for over one thousand protestors turned out to a rally to protest against that new Bristol Mall casino proposal.
It is the religious community that have been voicing their disapproval about the proposed casino the most, and in fact some 40 local pastors also attended that rally.
The main basis for their opposition to a new casino being built and opened, is that they feel that such a venue would lead to an increase of people experiencing mental health issues brought on by gambling activities in the casino, if it is given the green light.
Whilst it is fair and true to say that there are always going to be some individuals who gamble in a land based casino that could become addicted to gambling, casinos can do a lot these days to offer help support and even tools for gamblers to restrict their gambling activities.
