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A Better Montana Without Gambling |
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CITIZEN TOOLSKNOWING THE EFFECTS OF GAMBLING SHOULD HELP US |
1. INDIVIDUALS
In order for someone to win, someone else has to lose. Gamblers are predominantly losers. Operators of gambling establishments make money off people who are often foolishly ignorant. The history and current reality of gambling is that of broken promises, broken lives, and broken dreams.
"About 5.7% of Montana adults have a significant gambling problem, an increase of 58% since 1992.The 1998 Montana Gambling Study
"A survey of compulsive gamblers found 22% divorced because of gambling, 40% had lost or quit a job due to gambling, 49% stole form work to pay gambling debts, 23% alcoholic, 26% compulsive overeaters, 63% had contemplated suicide and 79% said they wanted to die." Henry Lesieur and Christopher Anderson
"Among the Gambler Anonymous respondents to the survey, 27.9% attempted suicide, 80.3% have owed more then $5,000 as a result of gambling, 65.6% have committed theft to pay for gambling, 11.5% have been arrested because of gambling and 54% of those divorced were for gambling reasons." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study The social costs of gambling are very high.
"Studies show. . . regardless of laws prohibiting teenage gambling, teenagers still gamble. Despite laws in Atlantic City [New Jersey] restricting the casinos to persons 21 years and over, a survey of teenagers in an Atlantic City high school revealed 64% of the teenagers had gambled in a casino, 21% had visited casinos more than ten times, and 9% still gambled at least once a week." Dr. John Warren Kindt
"About 48% of Montana past year problem and probable pathological gamblers reported that they played VGMs (video gaming machines) on a weekly basis, while only 8% of the non-problem gamblers gave a similar response. About 20% of the problem and probable pathological gamblers purchased scratch tickets once a week or more, compared to 2% of the non-problem gamblers." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study The gambling establishments need problem gamblers to survive.
"In 1998, 31% of the problem and pathological gamblers are divorced (vs. 12.9% in the total population)" The 1998 Montana Gambling Study Gambling is a family values issue.
"Nevada, for example, has the highest suicide rate for residents in the nation -- its rate is more than double the national average. It has the highest high school drop out rate; is first for deaths per vehicle-mile driven; and,.., it led the nation in child death by abuse in 1979-1988 (a period when casino gambling was illegal in other parts of the nation except Atlantic City)." The Executive Offices of the Governor of the State of Florida
2. FAMILIES
"Problem and pathological gamblers wager a disproportionate amount of the total: 37% of video gambling machine revenue .." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study The average problem gambler wagered $13,718 in 1997 on video gambling machines. It should be no surprise that problem gamblers have a difficult time paying their bills, write bad checks and often end up in bankruptcy. With that same money, imagine the groceries, other entertainment, new cars and child support that could have been paid.
"Pathological gamblers are much more likely to be violent with their spouses and abuse their children. Children of these gamblers generally do worse in school and have a suicide rate twice that of their classmates." Senator Paul Simon (Congressional Record 7/31/95)
"Among the Gambler Anonymous respondents to the survey, 27.9% attempted suicide, 80.3% have owed more then $5,000 as a result of gambling, 65.6% have committed theft to pay for gambling, 11.5% have been arrested because of gambling and 54% of those divorced were for gambling reasons." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study The social costs of gambling are very high.
"Studies show. . . regardless of laws prohibiting teenage gambling, teenagers still gamble. Despite laws in Atlantic City [New Jersey] restricting the casinos to persons 21 years and over, a survey of teenagers in an Atlantic City high school revealed 64% of the teenagers had gambled in a casino, 21% had visited casinos more than ten times, and 9% still gambled at least once a week." Dr. John Warren Kindt
"Among the respondents from Gambler's Anonymous, 21.3% gambled the first time by age 10, 63.9% gambled their first time by age 18. The first game played was 'legalized gambling' by 50.7% of the same Gambler Anonymous survey respondents." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study We know that Montana gambling is obvious and enticing to our children. You will find minors in many casinos, on school nights and past normal bed times. The problem gambler starts young, far too young.
"In 1990, the Christian Science Monitor reported that gambling is the fastest growing teenage addiction, with the rate of pathological gambling among high school-and college students about twice that of adults." Dr. John Warren Kindt The best way to protect our children is to outlaw gambling.
3. COMMUNITIES
"People will spend a tremendous amount of money in casinos, money that they would normally spend on buying a refrigerator or a new car. Local business will suffer because they'll lose customer dollars to the casinos." Donald Trump told the Miami Herald
..... Proximity to gambling influences the extent to which people engage in that activity. By exposing potential gamblers to legal casino gambling, a number of these individuals will experience problem gambling behaviors which may have otherwise remained dormant." Dr. John Warren Kindt
"Increased gambling is statistically correlated with increases in six types of crime: burglary, larceny/theft, vandalism, DUIs, weapons offenses and robberies. For each additional $1 million in gambling, about 172 more of those crimes will occur." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study
"As a California study put it, building and running a gambling facility doesn't create wealth, it merely transfers it. The benefit for a region is if the transfers are from outside the region. Our study's finding that nonresidents account for less than 5% of the money wagered in Montana indicates that gambling is redistributing income in the state rather than adding much to it." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study
"Under current state law (see 23-5 171, MCA), a local government has the ability to restrict gambling within its borders. No Montana community has yet made use of these provisions to prohibit gambling altogether.. ." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study
"Each problem gambler cost government and the private economy $13,200 a year." Robert Goodman The National Impact of Casino Gambling Prolferation, 1995 If this statistic is only 20% correct, a cost of $2,640 per year, the problem gambler costs Montana government and private economy $61.7 million every year. This is measured against $49 million in tax revenue.
"There would be little concern over how much gambling there is -- any more than one cares how much golf, movie attendance, or opera there is -- if it were not for the social problems and costs that gambling creates." Senator Paul Simon
"Probable lifetime pathological and problem gamblers in Montana rose from 3.6% in 1992 to 5.7% in 1998 of Montana Adults. The same statistic for 1998 for Montana American Indians is 12.2% statewide." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study The past year problem and pathological gamblers' rate is 3.6%. The Montana American Indians' past year statistic is 8.5%.
4. STATES
"Nonresidents spent an estimated $10 million on gambling in 1997, about 4.5% of all money wagered. More than 95% of money lost to gambling in Montana comes from the pockets of Montana residents." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study Gambling is not bringing much outside money into the state. Gambling is simply cannibalizing our own residents and businesses.
"The findings from the cross-sectional analysis suggest that a hypothetical statewide $1 million increase in VGM expenditures would be associated with about 17 more burglaries, approximately 78 more larcenies, roughly 25 more DUIs, 43 more acts of vandalism, 6 to 7 more weapons offenses, and 1 or 2 more robberies. The hypothetical $1 million increase in VGM expenditures would increase VGM taxes by $150,000 or about $0.17 per capita." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study If they catch 25 DUI drivers, how many didn't get caught. Would one or more highway fatalities result from these drivers? The criminal social costs of gambling are very high.
"About 3.6% of all adult Montanans are probable past year problem or pathological gamblers, up from 2.2% in 1992. ForAmerican Indians in Montana, the current rate is 8.5%." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study Problem gamblers have grown 164% in 6 years. If that rate continued, 5.9% of all adult Montanans will be problem gamblers by 2004. Remember, we are
talking about all adult Montanans, not just those who gamble. Montana had 23,400 problem gamblers in 1998 and could have 47,500+ problem gamblers by 2004.
"For every $1 the gambling revenue brings into the state, it will cost the residents between $3 and $7 in hidden costs. Utah, which has no legalized gambling has the healthiest growing economy in the nation." Dr. John Warren Kindt
"Changes in gambling establishments' revenue or employment will not affect the Montana economy in the same way as changes in agriculture, mining, wood and paper products, nonresident travel, or other basic industries. Specifically, revenue and employment changes in gambling establishments - except those associated with nonresident spending - will not make the Montana economy larger or smaller or cause it to grow faster or slower." The 1998 Montana Gambling Study Because out of state gamblers only amounts to 4.5% of the total revenue, the gambling industry is not helping Montana's economy like the other basic industries listed above.
A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO MONTANA
What is the economic and social rationale for linking liquor establishment licenses to gambling licenses? Does the combination create, in effect, an industry sheltered from rigorous competition? Does it have the contradictory consequence of limiting the availability of gambling (perhaps reducing the net potential cost of problem gambling) and, at the same time, making an activity that is addictive to some people ubiquitous in the very places where other addictive substances (alcohol and tobacco) are routinely available? What would be the ramifications of separating the two types of licensure or, more radically, of restricting gambling to places of businesses that DO NOT sell alcoholic beverages, as is the case in some jurisdictions in North America and elsewhere in the world?" The 1998 Montana Gambling Study
