Studies

The Reverse Robin Hood Effect

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Using data acquired from the Florida Lottery Commission, Florida scholars assessed what groups were benefiting from the lottery-funded Florida Bright Futures Scholarships and who were being harmed. Not surprisingly, the study reported that the “net benefits of the scholarships accrue disproportionately to counties with heavier concentrations of white, wealthy, and well-educated households.” The study concluded by stating: “If the Florida Bright Futures Scholarships are going to be made more equitable, the citizens who are harmed — the poor, the less-educated, and minorities, as well as citizens who care about fairness — need to get involved.”

The second study below uses survey data and finds similar results.

The Reverse Robin Hood Effect – The Distribution of Net Benefits From the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

Some Futures Are Brighter than Others – The Net Benefits Received by Florida Bright Futures Scholarships

CkirbyThe Reverse Robin Hood Effect
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Sleep-Deprived Citizens Are a Lucrative Profit Center for Gambling Operators

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In this study, researchers at Duke University Medical School found that sleep-deprived individuals tended to make choices that emphasized monetary gain and were less likely to make choices that reduced financial loss. Sleep deprivation can also change the way the brain assesses economic value. Finally, the study also demonstrates that sleep deprivation increases sensitivity to positive rewards while diminishing sensitivity to negative consequences.

Sleep Deprivation Biases the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Economic Preferences

CkirbySleep-Deprived Citizens Are a Lucrative Profit Center for Gambling Operators
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One of the world’s largest accounting firms finds that gambling was the most common motivator of fraud

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This 2009 Australian report from KPMG (one of the world’s largest accounting firms) finds that gambling was the most common motivator of fraud with an average value of $1.1 million per incident.

KPMG Fraud Survey

LesOne of the world’s largest accounting firms finds that gambling was the most common motivator of fraud
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Study spotlights how the Lottery exploits ordinary citizens in California

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In 2007, the California Budget Project reported on the possible privatization of the state lottery. It reported that the poor, non-white, urban and less educated spend a higher portion of their income on the lottery than other demographics.

California Budget Project – Gambling on the Future

CkirbyStudy spotlights how the Lottery exploits ordinary citizens in California
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Gamblers Stealing Millions to Feed Habit

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A private investigative report in Australia found that millions of dollars were being stolen because of the rising numbers of problem gamblers in the country. This includes $13 million of stolen money lost in slot machines or “pokies.”

Sydney Morning Herald – Gamblers Stealing Millions to Feed Habit

CkirbyGamblers Stealing Millions to Feed Habit
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Gambling Problems More Common than Drinking Problems

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In a study published in Journal of Gambling Studies, gambling problems were discovered to be more common than alcohol problems among adults in the U.S. Dr. John Welte, a national expert on alcohol and gambling pathology at the University of Buffalo, also concluded that problem gambling increases in frequency during adolescence and reaches its highest levels during the 20s and 30s.

Gambling and Problem Gambling Across the Lifespan

CkirbyGambling Problems More Common than Drinking Problems
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An Examination of Indian Casinos in Western New York

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This report suggests that an expanded casino in the Buffalo-area will be a “huge money-sucking vacuum” for a city already struggling with high poverty. It was presented to the Legislation Committee of the Buffalo Common Council by Professor Steve H. Siegel, of the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Niagara University.

Comparing the Economic Competitive Advantages of Indian Run Casinos Located on Sovereign Lands in Western New York Over Other Hospitality Operations

CkirbyAn Examination of Indian Casinos in Western New York
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