A report by two economists from the Pew Research Center surveyed political corruption before and after the legalization of casino gambling in states and found that corruption tends to rise when casino gambling is legalized and casinos begin to operate. The report gives two theories as to why this is. First, the economists report casinos tend to open up in states with a “culture of corruption” already established . They also report that the casino industry and casino interests are able to obtain the legislative results they want in a way that is “perhaps tainted by corruption”. This article from Al.com summarized the report’s findings.

2013 Mississippi leads nation in corruption when linked to legalization of gambling