Stop Predatory Gambling

Staying on the predatory gambling story

by spgadmin

Philadelphia Citypaper newsman Isaiah Thompson, the reporter behind what may be the best investigate news story into the business practices of the predatory gambling trade to date, predicts this week how Pennsylvania will attempt to fund its billion-dollar budget shortfall.

Despite legalizing casinos in the name of “property tax relief” in 2004, Thompson suggests government will cynically attempt to legalize electronic gambling machines in every bar and tavern in the state. It’s almost happened twice already but “the proposal was dropped for a different expansion of gambling: table games — oh, and the extension of credit to slots players, and the creation of another casino, and a slew of secretive earmarks. I can’t wait to see what extras they pack into the video poker proposals. Intravenous tubes for loyal “gamers,” maybe?”

No issue better symbolizes broken government than the government program of predatory gambling. Fixing our broken government will require active, sustained engagement from citizens everywhere and high quality reporting from more journalists like Thompson. Thanks for staying on it, Isaiah.