Below is the must-read amicus brief filed with Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Spring 2014 by the prestigious Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern School of Law, substantiating the very serious public health aspects of state sponsorship of commercial gambling and how it is comparable to efforts by tobacco companies to profit from a “toxic” product. PHAI’s President is Richard Daynard, considered by many scholars as the key legal strategist behind the transformative litigation efforts against tobacco companies in the 1980’s & 1990’s. Here’s the New York Times profile of him before he prevailed.
Regional Casinos
Proximity to Casinos is Major Factor in Gambling Addiction
One of four published papers resulting from the largest national study to date, this presentation unequivocally demonstrates the damage created by having casinos nearby. Data collected by Dr. John Welte and others shows: (1) A casino within 10 miles of home is associated with a 90% increase in the odds of being a pathological or problem gambler; (2) For every increase of one standard deviation in neighborhood disadvantage the odds of being a pathological or problem gambler increase by 69%; and (3) For every additional form of legal gambling in his or her state, the respondent’s odds of having gambled in the past year increase by 17%.
Predatory Gambling Has More of a History of Corruption Than Any Other Business
In the wake of the October 2010 indictments of four State Senators, Gary Palmer of the Alabama Policy Institute wrote about the historical connection between the legalization of gambling and government corruption. He quotes former U.S. Senator Paul Simon of Illinois who declared predatory gambling “…has more of a history of corruption than any other industry.”
The Inevitability of Tribal Casinos Not Being Inevitable
Attorney Stephanie A. Levin spotlights a common tactic used by predatory gambling promoters: they misrepresent Indian gambling law to sway a skeptical public about the need for the state to act quickly to legalize casinos before Native American tribes build their own.
Hundreds of millions in casino dollars haven’t lifted Oregon’s Native Americans out of poverty
This news story from Willamette Week explores how hundreds of millions in casino dollars haven’t lifted Oregon’s Native Americans out of poverty.
Tribes Not Winning Out Under Casinos
This blog post from TruthOut.org points out the devastating economic conditions that still exist on Native American reservations and how casinos will not solve the problem.
Olbermann’s Support for South Dakota Tribe Points to Way More Inclusive Indian County Coverage
Having Multiple Versions of the Same Slot Machine Game May Impact Problem Gambling
In this paper, Harrigan and Dixon examine how the same slot machine games with different payback percentages may affect the player’s behavior. Interestingly, slot machines with higher payback percentages (offering a perceived air of fairness for the player: 98% vs. a lower payback of 85%), were more likely to impose the most risk for ensuing gambling problems. In their findings, they argue for the regulations of lower payback percentages (85%), as the higher ones appear to be far more addictive.
Class II casino gambling hurts low-income tribal members
An article in the Valley Journal explains why the gambling revenues expected with the introduction of Class II are not evenly distributed over all tribal casinos and the benefits expected are often not realized.
2015 Class II gambling hurts low-income tribal members
Lessons From Casino Management
The general manager of Henderson, Nevada’s Stetson Saloon and Casino has some advice for player club members: casinos don’t really care how much you win or lose. What matters to them is how long you play the games and how much you are willing to play. They care less about sending free slot play to frequent players (why waste it on people who are coming anyway?) and concentrate more on sending promotions to less frequent players. The manager of this casino also freely admits that, “the longer you play, the more money you are likely to lose.”
Experts warn gambling and family violence linked
A prominent women’s advocacy group, Women’s Health East, affirmed a link between commercialized gambling and family violence.
2015 Concerning link between online gambling advertisements and family violence, experts warn