One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Big Problem For LA's Smallest City: No Casino Cash
The Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens normally is open 24/7 but the doors are now chained closed. (Sharon McNary/LAist)
Hawaiian Gardens is a tiny city with a big money problem.
The shutdown of The Gardens Casino in mid-March is costing the city 70 percent of its regular revenue — $1.1 million each month.
The loss will force cancellation of many services to the predominantly Latino, low-income city, just one square mile in size.
"I've been in this business for twenty years and I've been at six other cities and there's just really nothing like it,” said City Manager Ernie Hernandez.
“The bottom line is, nobody depends this much on one source.”
READ THE FULL STORY:
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
