2013 The big swindle- In lotteries, the poor are the biggest losers
Fraud
Report shows the bias in years of casino industry-funded research
Research into gambling and casinos has been severely tainted by money from casino interests according to a new report by Goldsmiths College at the University of London. It draws on testimony from researchers who admit that they have lied, omitted data, or otherwise tampered with results of their research because it was funded by casino interests. One researcher says, “I was really scared about potentially annoying the industry and then getting my reputation trashed because I saw that happen… and it was really horrible. So I had a choice, say everything is fine. In other words, lie.” This article from The Independent details this shocking report that casts doubt on the validity of years of research.
Investigating the Lottery’s “luckiest woman”
This 3-part series, from Philly.com, examines the story of Joan Ginther, a woman from Texas who won millions off of scratch tickets over several years. Her story captured headlines worldwide when she won $10 million on a single scratch ticket in June 2010. Mathematicians estimated the odds of someone winning as much as Ginther has at 1 in 18,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, or 18 septillion. However, this series explains that with a little luck and patience, it might not be so difficult to cheat one of America’s biggest industries.
2014 Lottery’s ‘luckiest woman’ bet flabbergasting sums on scratch-offs
2014 How Lottery legend Joan Ginther likely used odds, Uncle Sam to win millions
2014 Lottery mystery yields clues to missing $7.5 million prize
The rise of penny slots
The name “penny slot” implies that these machines are essentially harmless- after all, what use is there for one penny? However, these machines, which are rapidly growing in popularity, garner huge profits for casinos at the expense of players. These machines attract mainly lower-income players, lured by the idea that one penny can net them some extra cash. Most “penny slots” actually require you pay more than 1 cent per play, with some requiring 25 or 50 cents, and others requiring bets of over $1. Players put more than $500 million into penny slots in January alone, and given the high profits they give to casino owners, casinos are starting to install more and more of them. This article, from the Press of Atlantic City shows how one penny can cost gamblers a lot more than you might think.
80 years of slot machine trickery
This article, dated December of 1932, over 80 years ago, explains how slot machines are built to make players lose, and it still remains true today. It not only goes into detail as to how these machines mathematically cheat players out of their hard-earned cash, but it serves to show that these machines have been swindling players out of their money for generations.
Even casino industry researchers call racinos a sham
Even the researchers funded by casino interests admit slot machines do nothing to help horse racing and the workers connected to it. The late Bill Eadington, who was the director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno, told the Maryland Capital News Service in 2013, “The whole phenomenon of racetrack casinos has really been a sham. It’s done virtually nothing to increase the demand for horse races.”
Investigation of Iowa Lottery shows improvements need to be made
This in-depth, exhaustive study of the Iowa Lottery shows that the lottery has to make improvements to protect its customers and its integrity. The author uses the investigation to create a list of improvements the lottery can make to improve. Take some time to read this interesting investigation.
American Gaming Association head exposed for lying about the make-up of casino customers
Gambling operators are the only business that endlessly tries to draw attention away from what their business actually does. No one practices this deceit more than the American Gaming Association. Former AGA head Frank Fahrenkopf was exposed in a Miami Herald story in which he was quoted as saying:”the majority of people traveling to these ‘destination resorts’ are not going for the primary purpose of gambling.” He made the claim amid an intense lobbying campaign for casinos in Florida. PolitFact investigated his claim and not surprisingly, found it to be untrue for casinos outside of Las Vegas.
2013 Gambling advocate says most people go to high-end casinos for amenities, not gambling
18 ways that state lotteries prey on the poor
Business Insider spotlights 18 ways in which lotteries prey upon America’s least favored.
10 reasons why lotteries are bad for the economy
This article from Salon.com outlines the ten strongest reasons why state lotteries hurt the economy and the poor. It explains how lotteries not only hurt those who play, but also hurt local business and help foster crime.