Stop Predatory Gambling

“The Smartest Guys Not in the Room” makes its video debut featuring America’s favorite casino stars

America’s evolving “two-caste society” is due in no small part to government’s predatory program

Today, David Brooks of The New York Times spotlights the recent book by Charles Murray titled “Coming Apart.” Brooks writes:  ” Murray’s basic argument is not new, that America is dividing into a two-caste society. What’s impressive is the incredible… Read more

Who will fight for America’s Lottery Class if not the Department of Justice?

To underscore how much government’s predatory gambling program of casinos and lotteries best represents what is broken about the American political system, the U.S. Department of Justice released a highly controversial opinion – on the day much of the country is… Read more

“The risks to New Hampshire from expanded gambling are simply too high” – NH Governor Announces He Will Veto Any Legislation Allowing Casinos in the State

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch yesterday announced that he will veto any legislation allowing casinos or racinos in the state. In a detailed letter to legislative leadership, the Governor outlined a number of reasons for his decision to veto any… Read more

Maine voters reject predatory gambling proposals

The citizens of Maine soundly rejected two predatory gambling proposals on Election Day. Congratulations to those who led the opposition effort there, specifically Dennis Bailey and the CasinosNo group who have long fought against the state’s predatory gambling program.

The collapse of government’s failed policy of predatory gambling draws one step closer

For anyone curious about what the long-term future holds for government’s failed policy of predatory gambling, one must read the remarks delivered on the House floor yesterday by Massachusetts State Rep. Ruth Balser, D-Newton, during the casino debate. She put… Read more

New U.S. Census report shows poverty rate at its highest level in fifty years; Government responds with a failed policy that further shrinks the middle class

The New York Times reports today that another 2.6 million people slipped into poverty in the United States last year and the number of Americans living below the official poverty line, 46.2 million people, was the highest number in 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

Everyone was greedy

The world’s most famous something-for-nothing schemer Bernie Madoff said in a recent interview from his North Carolina prison that “everyone was greedy” when referring to his clients who lost billions of dollars. Madoff’s statement better describes what is broken about… Read more

The first question every legislator and member of the media needs to investigate and answer about predatory gambling

The Florida Legislature is holding a “Discussion on Gambling in Florida” in the state capitol this morning. These information gathering sessions are almost always dominated by predatory gambling interests. To help intensify the spotlight on casinos and lotteries, we shared… Read more

Chrysler Super Bowl ad pointedly leaves out Detroit casinos

In what may have been the best TV ad of yesterday’s Super Bowl, Chrysler ran a powerful ad showing rap artist Eminem driving one of its sedans with visual images of the city of Detroit as a backdrop.  You can… Read more

A good day for Illinois and for America

There was another major decision by an Illinois court this week besides Rahm Emanuel’s bid to stay on the Chicago mayoral ballot. The Illinois State Court of Appeals ruled the General Assembly violated the state constitution when they bundled a… Read more

MLK would have strongly fought against the government program of predatory gambling

As the nation honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King today, it is fitting to consider how Dr. King would view the major challenges facing our nation. There can be no doubt that Dr. King would be standing alongside… Read more

Governor-elect Cuomo must act against secret New York casino scheme

The New York Times reports that lame duck New York State Governor David Paterson is near an agreement with an out-of-state Indian tribe to build a full-scale casino in Sullivan County only 90 miles from Manhattan. As is typical with… Read more

Leaderless in Illinois

Predatory gambling profits in Illinois are in a free fall. The state already has an aggressive state Lottery, nine casinos (a tenth is on the way) and recently passed a proposal to turn bars and restaurants across the state into… Read more

California city rejects casino push

Despite millions of dollars spent by predatory gambling interests on media and public affairs to drive their deceptive message, the citizens of Richmond soundly rejected a bid to bring a casino into their community. Led by a thoughtful mayor who… Read more

Leading the way

Josh McCanless, a citizen leader in Missouri, wrote a passionate, fact-based op-ed about the government program of predatory gambling in The Southeast Missourian today. The people who are going to get America heading in the right direction will come from… Read more

Your Midnight Ride to Riches!

Tom Mashberg writes an entertaining opinion piece in The Boston Herald mocking the push by predatory gambling interests to build casinos at major historical landmarks across America. “It should be clear by now that our wealth of past glories is… Read more

Forgetting what they did there

This week the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board is holding public hearings on a proposed casino in Gettysburg – a place where more than 50,000 men were killed, wounded or captured in one of the most important events in American history. More… Read more

The Economist hosts a debate on gambling

Over the past week The Economist has been conducting a debate on whether government should have no restrictions on gambling. Stop Predatory Gambling was invited to make the case against the proposition. Here are the opening statements, the rebuttal statements… Read more

Tax collector becomes another victim of “voluntary taxation”

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a somber story about Michael O’Neill, a local tax collector who embezzled $225,000 to feed a gambling addiction at the Parx Casino just outside of Philadelphia. Many public officials defend the government program of predatory gambling… Read more

A huge ripoff even by the standards of a business based on ripoffs

The Baltimore Sun reports Maryland state government agreed this week to pay nearly $50 million to buy about 1,000 slot machines for the planned Cecil County casino. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, a longtime leader against the government program of predatory… Read more

Turning love your neighbor as yourself into the American Way

The Dallas Morning News has a terrific story this week in which they ask area faith leaders this question: If Texas is looking at cutting spending on education, health care, and other vital services, is it wrong to turn to… Read more

Integrity and lotteries are mutually exclusive

A Florida woman is suing the Florida Lottery over its refusal to pay a $500,000 prize on an allegedly misprinted ticket. Ann Marie Curcio received the $20 ticket from her husband for Mother’s Day in 2007. But when they tried… 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

Goldman Sachs and the Las Vegas ethic

Many policy makers and members of the news media regularly draw on images of “casino” capitalism, which is front and center again as controversy swirls around Goldman Sachs. The critique is implicit in the image/metaphor. But they rarely apply the same scrutiny… Read more

We Can Do It

America was once a country that ran public campaigns using now classic images like Rosie the Riveter, with her biceps flexed declaring “We can do it” – an icon symbolizing a generation of people we now call “the Greatest Generation…. Read more

Awakening our conscience requires understanding

The Boston Globe reports this morning that the Massachusetts House will not hold a public hearing on a bill to legalize casinos and racinos in the state that was released yesterday. The government program of predatory gambling is one of… Read more

The Regeneration

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman wrote an excellent column yesterday about what will be required to face the serious economic challenges in front of us:  “Our parents truly were the Greatest Generation. We, alas, in too many ways, have… Read more

America is becoming the world’s biggest casino republic

The San Jose Mercury News reported this week that six of the top 10 largest donors to political causes nationwide were Indian casino tribes, spending a total of $160 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics study. The… Read more

Our country cannot afford any more Bernie Madoff-style something-for-nothing schemes

Bloomberg News has a report about yesterday’s predatory internet gambling hearing before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. According to the story:  A top Federal Bureau of Investigation official said internet-based poker games can be subject to manipulation. “There are… Read more

Who stands for the children of the Lottery Class?

Education advocates are pressing the Oregon Lottery Commission to reduce what they say are overly generous payouts to bars and taverns that host the state’s video gambling machines. Stand for Children and other groups say the lottery has provided excessive… Read more

Bono, you left out at least one important threat: extreme greed

Bono, lead singer for the rock band U2, published an opinion piece in Sunday’s New York Times about how, in his view, “America might just hold the keys to solving the three greatest threats we face on this planet: extreme… Read more

Casino capitalism only benefits the casino operators

The crisis on Wall Street- AIG, Lehman Brothers, Bernie Madoff and so on – are all part of what’s been called “casino capitalism” – using predatory practices and financial gimmicks to promote an illusion of free money, all at the… Read more

The Casino Olympics

Chicago may have lost its bid to host the Olympics but two Chicago aldermen, evidently bewildered by all the Olympic spirit, yesterday proposed to build a casino complex where the city had hoped to build an Olympic Village. The Olympics promote… Read more

Betraying the promise of America

A newly released report from the Nebraska Gamblers Assistance Program lists the average gambling debt of 250 people who sought gambling-treatment services in the last fiscal year at nearly $27,000. Most of the debt came as a result of citizens… Read more

What other issue brings America together more than predatory gambling?

Citizens for Community Values, a socially conservative organization in Ohio visited the headquarters of liberal group ProgressOhio yesterday. The two organizations, diametrically opposed on most issues, have joined together to stop the predatory gambling proposal in their state. “It’s not… Read more

A movement to restore economic principles and values

New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote a MUST READ column on America’s critical loss of economic values. And the first culprit he targets on the list is state-sponsored predatory gambling. Brooks writes: “Evidence of this shift in values is… Read more