Casino cancer is the gravest threat facing Kentucky and should be the pre-eminent issue in this year’s race for governor. Electronic gaming—SLOTS—is the “crack cocaine” of gambling and we must keep it out of our great Commonwealth if we are to attain the promise of our heritage.
Every academic study, that is every study NOT funded by the gambling industry, conclusively shows casino gambling to be an economic and social loser (http://www.ncalg.org/). That is, the net costs of casino gambling far outweigh the short term benefits of increased tax revenues. Beyond the financial loss to individuals and traditional pre-existing businesses lie the very real and traumatic social costs of increased rates of crime, bankruptcy, absenteeism, divorce and suicide.
Yet we forget our history. In the late 1800’s widespread gambling so devastated the nation that states, including Kentucky, changed their constitutions to outlaw it. That is why the casino industry is pushing to amend it again. But the legislature absolutely MUST NOT let this come to a vote because pro-gambling forces have UNLIMITED FUNDS with which to advertise its distorted message in a way that can deceive a public so susceptible to quick and catchy, but all too false sound bites. The casino lobby will stand virtually unopposed as those who care about our future and the protection of our well being have scant funds to share the ugly facts that would effectively counter their propaganda.
The only argument pro-gambling forces can make is the sugar daddy lure of fool’s gold that short-sighted governments use to bribe their citizens’ support of this horrendous industry. Yet this is a false argument. The question is not what revenues Kentucky may lose to Indiana’s casinos just as it is not what revenues we may lose to vacationers who choose, for instance, Florida instead of Kentucky. In fact, even with Indiana’s casinos and a cut in taxes Kentucky still increased its tax revenues.
While it is morally untenable for a state to sell its soul in pursuit of such short-term gain the case against casino gambling is ultimately a matter of policy. Kentucky should instead draw on our pioneer heritage of leadership. We can leverage our strengths by drawing on and promoting the best out of our citizens. We could position ourselves to prospective employers as a casino-free state and encourage in a positive way the message to our youth that the best way upwards is through education and industry.
Casino gambling is long overdue for federal regulation. But such is the power of that industry’s lobby that Congress has so far refused to act on it, thus leaving states vulnerable to a true race to the bottom.
George Washington said it right: “The last thing I shall mention, is first of importance and that is, to avoid gaming. This is a vice which is productive of every possible evil, equally injurious to the morals and health of its votaries. It is the child of avarice, the brother of inequity, and father of mischief. It has been the ruin of many worthy families; the loss of many a man's honor; and the cause of suicide. To all those who enter the list, it is equally fascinating; the successful gamester pushes his good fortune till it is overtaken by a reverse; the losing gamester, in hopes of retrieving past misfortunes, goes on from bad to worse; till grown desperate, he pushes at everything; and loses his all. In a word, few gain by this abominable practice (the profit, if any, being diffused) while thousands are injured.”
Every academic study, that is every study NOT funded by the gambling industry, conclusively shows casino gambling to be an economic and social loser (http://www.ncalg.org/). That is, the net costs of casino gambling far outweigh the short term benefits of increased tax revenues. Beyond the financial loss to individuals and traditional pre-existing businesses lie the very real and traumatic social costs of increased rates of crime, bankruptcy, absenteeism, divorce and suicide.
Yet we forget our history. In the late 1800’s widespread gambling so devastated the nation that states, including Kentucky, changed their constitutions to outlaw it. That is why the casino industry is pushing to amend it again. But the legislature absolutely MUST NOT let this come to a vote because pro-gambling forces have UNLIMITED FUNDS with which to advertise its distorted message in a way that can deceive a public so susceptible to quick and catchy, but all too false sound bites. The casino lobby will stand virtually unopposed as those who care about our future and the protection of our well being have scant funds to share the ugly facts that would effectively counter their propaganda.
The only argument pro-gambling forces can make is the sugar daddy lure of fool’s gold that short-sighted governments use to bribe their citizens’ support of this horrendous industry. Yet this is a false argument. The question is not what revenues Kentucky may lose to Indiana’s casinos just as it is not what revenues we may lose to vacationers who choose, for instance, Florida instead of Kentucky. In fact, even with Indiana’s casinos and a cut in taxes Kentucky still increased its tax revenues.
While it is morally untenable for a state to sell its soul in pursuit of such short-term gain the case against casino gambling is ultimately a matter of policy. Kentucky should instead draw on our pioneer heritage of leadership. We can leverage our strengths by drawing on and promoting the best out of our citizens. We could position ourselves to prospective employers as a casino-free state and encourage in a positive way the message to our youth that the best way upwards is through education and industry.
Casino gambling is long overdue for federal regulation. But such is the power of that industry’s lobby that Congress has so far refused to act on it, thus leaving states vulnerable to a true race to the bottom.
George Washington said it right: “The last thing I shall mention, is first of importance and that is, to avoid gaming. This is a vice which is productive of every possible evil, equally injurious to the morals and health of its votaries. It is the child of avarice, the brother of inequity, and father of mischief. It has been the ruin of many worthy families; the loss of many a man's honor; and the cause of suicide. To all those who enter the list, it is equally fascinating; the successful gamester pushes his good fortune till it is overtaken by a reverse; the losing gamester, in hopes of retrieving past misfortunes, goes on from bad to worse; till grown desperate, he pushes at everything; and loses his all. In a word, few gain by this abominable practice (the profit, if any, being diffused) while thousands are injured.”
-The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799, (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1938), Vol. 26, p. 40. This advice was given to by Washington to his nephew in a letter on January 15, 1783.
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