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WATCH: What You Need to Know About America’s New Wave of Gambling Ads

 

As gambling companies further intensify their ongoing barrage of sports gambling ads targeted at the American people, we recently hosted a national panel on what you need to know about the massive wave of sports gambling advertising and promotions spreading across the U.S.

Above is the video to watch our important national event “America’s New Storm of Gambling Advertising: A Threat to Public Health” from earlier this year. It featured Mark A. Gottlieb, executive director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law, and Harry Levant, Director of Education for Stop Predatory Gambling.

Mark and Harry powerfully revealed the truth about what is really happening in our communities and across our country. After you watch it, we strongly urge you to share the video on your email list and and your social media networks, inviting people to learn for themselves how serious the problem of predatory gambling has become.

We also strongly encourage you to share the video with every local, state, and federal official in your region, along with members of the local and state media.

The full video is posted to our YouTube channel and can be watched here: https://youtu.be/12FtoYCE9jU

We also put the panel into four smaller parts if you can’t watch the whole thing all at once.

PART I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEVyikeJfJs

PART II: https://youtu.be/UgyIcxIw-u0

PART III: https://youtu.be/wP1YUTpfdM0

PART IV: https://youtu.be/YQf9-xMMF7k

About the Speakers:

Mark A. Gottlieb is the executive director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law, where he is also a lecturer and clinical instructor. Mark has focused his research and advocacy on tobacco litigation as a public health strategy for most of his career. His article, “Casinos: An Addiction Industry in the Mold of Tobacco and Opioid Drugs” (co-authored with Daynard and Friedman) was recently published in the University of Illinois Law Review. You can read his article here.

Harry Levant is the Director of Education for Stop Predatory Gambling and a public health advocate from Philadelphia. A gambling addict in recovery who made his last bet on April 27, 2014, Levant is dedicating his professional work to helping people and families to overcome struggles with gambling addiction and other substance disorders. In his role as an advocate, Levant will graduate from La Salle University with a Masters in Professional Counseling in May 2022. He is a member of numerous professional organizations including Chi Sigma Iota National Honor Society for Counselors, the American Counseling Association, the Pennsylvania Counseling Association, and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania. He also earned a law degree from Temple University Law School.

Moderator: Les Bernal is National Director for Stop Predatory Gambling. Stop Predatory Gambling believes people are worth more than money. A 501c3 non-profit based in Washington, DC, its members work to reveal the truth behind commercialized gambling operators to prevent more victims.

It is only because of the selfless financial generosity of our members that we are able to fund important events like this national webinar. If you support our mission to reveal the truth behind commercialize​d​ ​gambling operators to prevent more victim​s​, ​​please ​​become a member of our national network by making a gift of any size you can afford today.

Thank you.

Les BernalWATCH: What You Need to Know About America’s New Wave of Gambling Ads
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WATCH the Truth About Casinos: “A Conflict Between Love and Greed”

“A Conflict Between Love and Greed” – Learn about the crisis of state-sanctioned gambling. Stop Predatory Gambling’s Les Bernal was invited to speak on the crisis of state-sanctioned casinos before an audience in Amherst County in Lynchburg, VA at Temple Baptist Church on Sept. 30, 2021. The region faced a massive lobbying push by out-of-state gambling interests attempting to force a slot machine casino into the heart of their community.
Stop Predatory Gambling believes people are worth more than money. Our members work to reveal the truth behind commercialized gambling operators to prevent more victims. Get started at https://www.stoppredatorygambling.org…
Les BernalWATCH the Truth About Casinos: “A Conflict Between Love and Greed”
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Why Commercialized Gambling is Different Than Any Other Business

Below is the testimony of Les Bernal, National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling, before a Georgia Legislature study committee on gambling in October 2019. As part of his presentation, Bernal explains why commercialized gambling is different than any other business. A copy of Bernal’s slides can be found here.

Les BernalWhy Commercialized Gambling is Different Than Any Other Business
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The Freedom Players

Why Participate as a Freedom Player?

You need to become a Freedom Player if you want to help the 40 million Americans suffering harm because of the greed of big gambling operators. 

People like you are the reason why Freedom Players always win.

What is a Freedom Player?

Our action is simple but powerful. We enter a local casino (or local gambling venue), sit down at an electronic gambling machine, put in our money and then we begin Freedom Playing.

Freedom Playing means you play the machine any way you want except you don’t press the Play button. While we Freedom Play, some of us talk with a friend, some read a book and some even knit. The ideas are almost limitless.

While you are Freedom Playing, you are encouraged to ask casino staff some essential questions such as: how do electronic gambling machines work? Why does the casino give away “free slots play” to citizens? Will I ultimately lose all of my money if I play these machines for a length of time? The DSM V labeled gambling an addiction like heroin, cocaine, and opioids so should this slot machine be considered a dangerous and addictive product, and if so, does this casino have a legal duty of care to ensure that I’m not harmed by this product? And so on. You get the idea.

Once you are done Freedom Playing, you will hit the cash out button on the machine and receive a paper voucher that you will present to the Cashier’s Window to receive your “winnings.”

Here are the few steps it takes to be a Freedom Player along with some sample questions you can ask.

What The Freedom Players Aim to Achieve

We use our freedom to play these machines in such a way that:

  • Spotlights the 40 million Americans suffering harm because of the greed of big gambling operators;
  • Demonstrates commercialized gambling extracts enormous personal wealth from ordinary Americans, leaving many in life-changing levels of personal debt, and how this financial devastation affects their future.
  • Highlights the urgency for commercialized gambling to be dramatically reformed in America, especially because we believe the life of every person has intrinsic value and no one is expendable.

All Freedom Players Need to Bring the Following:

  • A $5.00 bill or larger (not surprisingly, many slot machines require that you insert at least a $5 bill even though you may be playing a penny slot machine)
  • Bring a Valid Photo I.D. (All participants need to be 21 years old or older to enter the casino.)
  • Something to do while “Freedom Playing” (i.e. a book, knitting, drawing, etc.)
  • Please bring at least one other person with you, a family member, friend or co-worker.

If you need more info, contact us at mail[at]stoppredatorygambling.org

Below is a brief video of the first Freedom Players action from back in January 2008. We were rookies then.

 

 

 

Les BernalThe Freedom Players
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The Message of Government at the Time of “The Greatest Generation”

During the Great Depression, leaders like New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (watch the brief news clip below) aggressively went after those who preyed on the financial struggles of his city’s working class.

What we now call “The Greatest Generation” challenged citizens to help make America and their families stronger by buying government savings bonds. Today, the daily voice of government to most citizens during the worst economic crisis since then is casinos and state lotteries. After forty years, it’s time government pulled out of the predatory gambling business because it is a failed policy.

The video is part of a “25 years ago today” UN newsreel story issued September 24, 1959.

LesThe Message of Government at the Time of “The Greatest Generation”
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Watch an instant racing machine in action

Many of the gambling interests have argued that instant racing machines are similar to betting on a live horse race and that they should be allowed in states where slot machines are not because they are different than slot machines. Others argue that in practice these machines are little more than slot machines in disguise. Watch for yourself and see what you think: Does this look like a horse race or a slot machine to you?

 

LesWatch an instant racing machine in action
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