Internet Gambling Offers Another Avenue for Organized Crime and Money Laundering

A report by Dr. John Kindt, a University of Illinois Professor of Business and Legal Policy, shows government-sanctioned gambling to be economically and politically destabilizing. As exemplified by casinos, gambling provides quick and substantial quantities of stable cash flow to predatory gambling operators, and particularly in less-secure governmental systems, these operators are often associated with groups dedicated to destabilizing the government, such as organized crime, terrorist, and rebel groups.

Internet Gambling – Organized Crime and Money Laundering

LesInternet Gambling Offers Another Avenue for Organized Crime and Money Laundering
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National Survey Shows Casinos, Slots and Lotteries Attract Youth Into an Addictive Habit

This Annenberg National Risk Survey of Youth revealed how severe the problem of gambling has become among America’s youth and the situation has only worsened since. Within the report were several major findings including more young men ages 14 to 17 have tried gambling than cigarette smoking or drinking alcohol and almost nine in ten youth (88%) who gambled weekly in both private and public venues reported one or more problems with their gambling. Although it was not possible to make precise projections of future gambling pathology from these symptoms, the report said, they were indicative of greater risk for gambling problems among youth who gamble regularly.

Annenberg Youth Study

LesNational Survey Shows Casinos, Slots and Lotteries Attract Youth Into an Addictive Habit
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New York State government report reveals 1 in 5 adolescents facing a gambling problem

New York State government released a stunning report showing 10% of adolescents in the state currently have a gambling problem and an additional 10% currently are at risk for developing a gambling problem. That means over 300,000 adolescents in New York State either have or are at risk of having a serious gambling problem.

New York State 2007 study

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South Carolina Study Shows Households Earning Under $40K Make Up 54% of the Lottery’s Frequent Players

A review of demographic studies commissioned by the South Carolina Education Lottery showed: African-Americans made up 19% of the state’s adult population but accounted for almost 39% of frequent players; people in households earning under $40,000 accounted for 28% of the state’s population but made up 54% percent of frequent players; people with no high school diploma accounted for 8% of the state’s population and 21% of frequent players; and people whose highest educational achievement is a high school diploma or GED made up 25% of the total population and 34% percent of frequent players.

South Carolina Lottery Demographics

LesSouth Carolina Study Shows Households Earning Under $40K Make Up 54% of the Lottery’s Frequent Players
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Report spotlights how gambling interests literally buy the ballot measure process across the US

The massive expansion of predatory gambling over the last twenty years came as the result of gambling interests spending hundreds of millions of dollars under the guise of “Let the People Vote.” What they really meant was “Let Us Buy the Vote!” In 2008, nine states considered whether to replace declining revenues with money from predatory gambling. “Never a Sure Bet,” a report from the National Institute on Money in State Politics, examines the money behind these ballot measures. Gambling proponents significantly outraised opponents in each of the states they were successful in, ranging from about 2 to 1 in California to 1,734 to 1 in Colorado. An examination of the business sectors behind the measures shows that Indian casino tribes gave $157.4 million, more than half (57 percent) of all the money. Non-tribal gambling interests were the next-largest donors, giving $104.5 million (38 percent). Combined, these interests gave 96 percent of all money raised around the measures.

Never A Sure Bet Report from National Institute on Money in State Politics

LesReport spotlights how gambling interests literally buy the ballot measure process across the US
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Gambling Interests are the Most Powerful Political Force in America Today

Six out of ten of the top funders of political causes nationwide are casino interests, according to analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics (2007 and 2008 cycle.)  For more information about how much money gambling interests spend to influence our political process, please visit the Center for Responsive Politics at OpenSecrets.org and see their Influence and Lobbying section as well as their National Donor Profiles section.

LesGambling Interests are the Most Powerful Political Force in America Today
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The Impact of Casino Gambling on Personal Bankruptcy Filing Rates

John M. Barron, Dept. of Economics at Purdue University; Michael E Staten of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. and Stephanie M. Wilshusen Georgetown looked at larger market areas and determined, “Our analysis predicts an 8% decline in 1998 filing rates for casino and collar counties, and a 1.4% decline in filing rates nationwide if one were to eliminate casino gambling.”

The Impact of Casino Gambling on Personal Bankruptcy Filing Rates

LesThe Impact of Casino Gambling on Personal Bankruptcy Filing Rates
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Bankruptcy Rates: A County Level Analysis

At Creighton University, Ernie Goss, Professor of Economics and Edward Morse, Professor of Law, used bankruptcy information to compare the roughly 250 U.S. counties with commercial or Indian casinos. “Our regression analysis on matched-pair counties indicates that those counties that legalized casino gambling during the 1990s experienced a cumulative growth rate in individual bankruptcies that was more than double the growth rate for corresponding non-casino counties.”

The Impact of Casino Gambling on Bankruptcy Rates – A County Level Analysis

LesBankruptcy Rates: A County Level Analysis
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