The development of The Aqueduct racino in South Ozone Park had citizens concerned of a spike in crime level due to its presence. Because of this underlying fear, cops have been centralized around the racino and as a result, surrounding areas have suffered due to a lack of protection.
Regional Casinos
Atlantic City casinos spend 40% of winnings on comps
Casinos across Atlantic City have been even more generous in sending out free slot-play rewards in attempts to lure customers. Statistics released last month show that Atlantic City’s casinos spent an average of about 40 cents of every dollar they won in gambling on promotional allowances and expenses in September.
Atlantic City casinos spend 40% of winnings on comps to compete with other venues
The Casino Practice of Lending Money to Citizens Who Then Gamble It All Away
The casino business model is based on patrons who “chase” their losses which means people who continue gambling to try to get back the money they have already lost to the casino. Borrowing money to gamble is one of the most glaring warning signs of problem gambling. One way casinos exploit the mind set of those who chase their losses is by loaning money to gamblers who do not have the cash on hand to continue gambling at the casino. Below is an example of the predatory casinos loan process taken from the Harrah’s Metropolis (IL) Casino website on May 30, 2012.
‘Gamble responsibly’ is an ad, not a deterrent
State governments presumably believe that the ‘gamble responsibly’ message is evidence of their concern about gambling problems, and will assist people who gamble to do so in a ‘responsible’ manner. This message seems to be no more than a façade however, providing a false sense of caring, as persuasively explained in this article by Charles Livingstone.
Near Misses Are Like Winning to Problem Gamblers
The brains of problem gamblers react more intensely to near misses than casual gamblers, new research from the University of Cambridge has found. The results help explain what keeps problem gamblers betting even though they keep losing.
Emerging Issues in the Use of “Free Play”
Non-negotiable slot credits, or what is commonly called “free play” has become the primary form of customer incentives in casinos. Today’s casinos use mail, phone and email solicitations to offer free slot machine play to lure citizens who have rarely been to a casino before, a tactic adopted from the tobacco companies who used to hand out free cigarettes in low-income neighborhoods. This article attempts to identify the emerging issues of free play and how they are impacting the frequency of play and casino profitability.
Casinos in Florida: A Look at Crime and Prison Costs From the Introduction of Casinos into Miami-Dade
This 2012 report authored by Richard Herring and David Beggs analyzes the inextricable link between casinos and crime in surrounding counties. Based on the introduction of casinos into Miami-Dade County, a conservative estimate projects a $3 billion dollar impact on just the state prison system over a 10-year period.
Australian Government Study Shows Predatory Gambling Costing Citizens $4.5 Billion Dollars Per Year, the Bulk of Costs Deriving from Video Slot Machines
According to the 2010 Australian Productivity Commission report (their government’s independent research and advisory body) which provides an in-depth analysis of the effects of the predatory gambling business on the nation, predatory gambling now costs Australian society about $4.5 billion dollars per year – the bulk of costs deriving from video slot machines. These costs exceed benefits when “excess” losses by problem gamblers is included. Cost per year per adult translates to $210. $1 U.S. dollar = $1.08 in Australian dollars as of Oct 23, 2009. You can find a longer summary of the report’s findings in the Profits from Gambling Addicts section.
Public Agency Acts as Casino Debt Collector in Nevada
The taxpayers of Nevada are funding efforts to collect debts for the state’s casino industry. According to the Las Vegas Sun, this is the only state in the country where this occurs. Casinos make a practice of giving out loans, or “markers,” to problem gamblers and those they know have been gambling for hours on end. Instead of hiring private debt collection firms like all other businesses, the casinos charge the taxpayers of Nevada to do this and put the Clark County Assistant District Attorneys to work on their behalf. This allows the predatory gambling industry to keep making huge profits.
Why Does District Attorney Act as Bill Collector for Casinos?
The Definition of a Pathological Gambler
According to the American Psychiatric Association, in order to be diagnosed as a pathological gambler, someone must meet five of the ten criteria below:
- Committing crimes to get money to gamble
- Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut back or quit gambling
- Gambling to escape problems or feelings of sadness or anxiety
- Gambling larger amounts of money to try to make back previous losses
- Having had many unsuccessful attempts to cut back or quit gambling
- Losing a job, relationship, or educational or career opportunity due to gambling
- Lying about the amount of time or money spent gambling
- Needing to borrow money due to gambling losses
- Needing to gamble larger amounts of money in order to feel excitement
- Spending a lot of time thinking about gambling, such as remembering past experiences or ways to get more money with which to gamble