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Philadelphia Inquirer reporter exposes the state’s failed predatory gambling policy
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Monica Yant Kinney has consistently been a member of the small company of American journalists who have aggressively examined government’s policy of predatory gambling. Below is another must-read Inquirer column she published recently: The Valley Forge Casino… Read more
“The Sucker Index” released by Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News released a brand new “Sucker Index” today. Bloomberg Rankings created the Sucker Index with 2010 data from the US Census and annual reports from state lottery commissions. The total dollar amount of prizes awarded was subtracted from ticket… Read more
FOX Business Network calls out Verifone CEO about the state lottery on national TV
The CEO of a company that provides the technology enabling state lotteries to sell lottery tickets right at America’s gas pumps and inside taxi cabs was challenged about their service in an interview on the FOX Business Network today. Recently,… Read more
The gambling revenue “success” in the U.S.
More than two-thirds of states that legalized casinos, lotteries or racetrack casinos in the past 10 years have yet to see the state and local revenue that political and industry champions of legalization had promised. This fact, reported by Stateline.org,… Read more
“We need to pretend we care…just long enough to get the casino bill passed”
Boston’s Fox 25 has an excellent report this morning about how states ultimately strip funding for problem gambling treatment even though grand promises were made to help the tens of thousands of new addicts created by government’s predatory gambling policy…. Read more
One day closer to getting government out of the predatory gambling business
The Daytona Beach News-Journal rips the failed government policy of predatory gambling in a must-read editorial. Read it below: Lawmakers escape into gambling fantasyland Florida is on the cusp of becoming the Disney World of gambling. Uh, make that gaming… Read more
Cash Win-Fail
This weekend’s excellent reporting from The Boston Globe’s Andrea Estes and Scott Allen revealed a “quirk in the rules” on a lottery game in Massachusetts called Cash WinFall. They found that the game had been exploited by a few bettors,… Read more
“Get Government Out of Gambling” effort kicks off
Paul Davies, a former first-rate investigative reporter and editorial writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer who is now a fellow at the Institute for American Values, has kicked off his “Get Government Out of Gambling” blog. The link is www.getgovernmentoutofgambling.org. Paul’s… Read more
A must-read new book about the policy of predatory gambling in America
Sam Skolnik, a former reporter with The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and The Las Vegas Sun, has written a must-read new book titled “High Stakes: The Rising Cost of America’s Gambling Addiction,” from Beacon Press. The article below is an excerpt from the… Read more
“The smell of desperation on slot machines permeates our political class”
Responding to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s drive for a Chicago casino, journalist James Warren writes one of the best op-ed pieces we have read in some time about the failed policy of predatory gambling. It is a must-read. Here are… Read more
Another major U.S. media outlet exposes the failed government policy of predatory gambling
Following on the heels of the 60 Minutes investigation into slot machines that aired in January, The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Science Writer John Mangels publishes his investigative series into predatory gambling this week appropriately titled “Game of Trance.” The quality… Read more
ESPN reveals high stakes wagering on youth football games in Florida
While our mission as an organization focuses specifically on the failed government policy of predatory gambling, the recent ESPN segment revealing the high stakes betting taking place on Florida Youth Football games is one of the most disturbing news items… Read more
Professional lottery ticket cashers provide a window into another reason why state lotteries are a failed public policy
The Boston Herald’s Hillary Chabot breaks a major story this morning about the prevalance of “professional lottery ticket cashers.” These individuals hand in multiple winning lottery tickets given to them by people who want to avoid back taxes, evade child… Read more
Must-watch video of a Merchant of Deceit
Roxbury News captures Sands Bethlehem (PA) president Robert DeSalvio testifying before the Pennsylvania Legislature that sending monthly statements to gamblers about their losses will violate privacy and may encourage citizens to gamble more because it will remind them about their… Read more
Ohio taxpayers are only beginning to see the bill for their state’s predatory gambling program
Alexander Coolidge of The Cincinnati Inquirer has an excellent news story about how the state revenues from proposed Ohio casinos will be 40% less than what the casino interests promised during their unprecedented $60 million campaign in 2009 to amend… Read more
Philly investigative reporter: “Why I can’t stop writing about casinos”
One of the country’s best reporters investigating the government program of predatory gambling, Isaiah Thompson of the Philadelphia City Paper, wrote a great column about how maddeningly frustrating it can be for reporters to cover the story of casinos: “I’m… Read more
60 Minutes takes on predatory gambling this Sunday night
The national news program 60 Minutes will be broadcasting their segment about predatory gambling in America this Sunday night, Jan. 9th. It will have a special focus on electronic gambling machines. As you know, predatory gambling is a major issue that… Read more
Leaked memo shows a glimpse of casino business practices
Tina Detelj of WTNH in Connecticut gets the exclusive on a leaked memo from Mohegan Sun that offers a glimpse into casino business practices. The memo included a reference to the casino’s push for its employees to “Sex It Up.” You can… Read more
Saying it loud and clear
Charlie Pierce, the talented journalist who writes for the Boston Globe Magazine, has an excellent column this week unmasking those who advocate for slot machines to save “jobs.” Pierce writes: “If slots can save the racing industry, why not all… Read more
Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes rips predatory gambling
Last night Andy Rooney took aim at the government program of predatory gambling and scored a direct hit. Here are his comments: “I have good news for you tonight. According to an American Gaming Association report, revenue from casino gambling… Read more
Staying on the predatory gambling story
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…. Read more