Stop Predatory Gambling

New York Times spotlights state-sponsored predatory gambling

by spgadmin

The New York Times ran a must-read story about how states are facing a drop in their revenues from predatory gambling. According to the story:

“The data shows that states take a real chance in depending on gambling because this revenue is not likely to keep pace with growing budgetary needs,” said Lucy Dadayan, a senior analyst at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University at Albany, which will release a report on the subject next week. “In the absence of new types of gambling, it can become a zero-sum game as states compete for the same pot.”

But here’s the best quote in the story:

“Even though our revenues are down during the recession, bringing a casino into a community will still provide new jobs, new tax revenues, new opportunities for local vendors and other benefits that didn’t exist before,” said Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association.

Unless, of course, the casino is proposed for Mr. Fahrenkopf’s community of McLean, Virginia.  Because then he would oppose it, as he has declared in the past.

I can’t think of another product or service besides predatory gambling where the people who own it and promote it don’t use it or want to live near it. Perhaps that’s a story the New York Times will tackle next.