COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 6, 1999 - In his January
letter, Focus on the Family President and federal gambling commission member,
James C. Dobson, Ph.D., shares his observations on gambling with more than
2.4 million Focus constituents. This is the first time Dr. Dobson has addressed
the issue at length since his appointment to the National Gambling Impact
Study Commission two years ago.
From the heartland to the inner city, Dr. Dobson outlines his concerns
regarding the spread of gambling and its impact on today's family. Those
concerns have been heightened by recent visits to many of America's gambling
centers as part of his commission duty.
Dr. Dobson found that public officials have become dependent on gambling
revenue to support their various programs. Therefore, they boast of "economic
miracles" while ignoring the social and familial deterioration caused by
the gambling industry. In his letter, Dr. Dobson examines casinos, lotteries,
destination gambling sites, problem gamblers and the political influence
of the gambling lobby. The January letter serves as his most comprehensive
commentary to date on the issue of gambling. It comes on the heels of the
NGISC's last site visit to Las Vegas which was held in November.
The letter is as follows:
January 1999
Dear Friends,
Did you know that Americans gamble more money each year than they spend
on groceries?(1) Or that more than $600 billion is wagered legally in the
United States annually?(2) Or that nearly one in five homeless people admit
that gambling contributed to their poverty, and yet 37 percent said that
they continue to gamble?(3) Or that five to eight percent of American adolescents
are already addicted to gambling?(4) Or that 75 percent of pathological
gamblers admitted they had committed at least one felony to support their
habit?(5) Or that more money is spent on gambling in the State of Mississippi
than on all retail sales combined?(6) Or that a decade ago, only New Jersey
and Nevada permitted casinos, but now 48 states have legalized some form
of gambling?(7) Or that more than 30,000 video poker machines, which are
called the "crack cocaine of gambling,"(8) are scattered through South
Carolina, and that the governor who opposed them (David Beasley) was voted
out in November?(9) Or that children as young as four years of age can
put money in those poker machines legally in South Carolina as long as
they don't accept their earnings?(10) Or that the massive Las Vegas casino
called "New York, New York" was completed in 1996 at a cost of $460 million(11),
and more than half of it was paid for in a period of only one year!(12)
Clearly, "gambling fever" has engulfed the nation and has penetrated
every age group from the very young to the very old. It now threatens the
work ethic and the very foundation of the family. Thirty years ago, gambling
was widely understood in the culture to be addictive, progressive and dangerous.
Parents taught their children about its evils, and some families, including
my own, would not even permit playing cards in the home. More recently,
however, betting has been given a face-lift by the industry -- even changing
the name from gambling to "gaming." The effect of this relentless propaganda
has been dramatic. Most Americans now think of gambling not as a vice or
an unsavory habit, but as harmless entertainment.
In inner-city areas, gambling is seen as a "ticket out of poverty" and
a last chance for riches. As such, it preys on the desperation of the poor
and its promises are based on lies. When state lotteries are proposed,
for example, the public is assured that enormous funds will be generated
for education, despite studies showing that after states legalize lotteries
they actually reduce spending for education.(13)
The promised "money for schools" has been a scam, just like so much
that is associated with the gambling industry. It was these concerns and
the sudden obsession with gambling that attracted the attention of several
members of Congress in 1994. Rep. Frank Wolf, (R-Va) led an effort to evaluate
the impact of this industry on the economy, on families, and on those who
become addicted to it. Largely through his leadership, a bill was finally
passed in 1996 that created the National Gambling Impact Study Commission.(14)
It was charged with the responsibility of evaluating legalized gambling
in all of its forms. The panel was given two years to investigate everything
from casinos to lotteries, from dog and horse racing to video poker, from
Indian gambling to sports betting, and finally, Internet gambling, the
most unregulated, pervasive and potentially destructive form of all.
Congress specified that nine members be appointed to the Commission,
three to be selected by the President, three by the House, and three by
the Senate. Kay Coles James (Dean of Regent University School of Government
and a member of the Focus on the Family Board of Directors) was designated
as Commission Chair. She has done a wonderful job with this controversial
and difficult assignment. I was appointed by my great friend, Sen. Dan
Coats. (Note: Although it is probably not necessary to do so, I feel obliged
to make it clear that I am writing to you in my capacity as President of
Focus on the Family -- not as a member of the National Gambling Impact
Study Commission. The views expressed in this letter are mine and those
of Focus on the Family.) I knew it would be an unpleasant and time-consuming
task, but I felt it was something I needed to do. Our work began in June,
1997, and is scheduled to conclude with a final report to be issued on
June 18, 1999. Having spent the past 19 months working on this assignment,
I've seen more than what I wanted to know about the seamier side of this
industry.
With the remainder of this letter, I want to share some of the facts
that have come to light to this point. Let's begin by looking at Nevada,
which legalized gambling in 1931(15) and remains the glitziest showplace
for the industry. More than forty million visitors come to Las Vegas, Reno,
Tahoe and other Nevada cities annually(16), most with visions of riches
dancing in their heads. The majority of them go home broke, or at best,
considerably poorer than when they came. Every method is used by casino
executives to take their money, from sophisticated behavior modification
techniques to skimpily clad young women offering free alcoholic drinks
and sweet talk to high rollers. Their seduction is highly effective.
My greater concern, however, is not with families who budget for vacations
in a gambling center and go there expecting to lose a pre-determined amount
of money. This is called "destination gambling," and some people are able
to participate in it without losing control or becoming hooked. The greater
tragedy involves those who turn out to be vulnerable to the highly addictive
nature of gambling. No one expects to be one of those victims in the beginning,
but the system is designed to snare those who are. A substantial portion
of casino profits is generated by exploiting those men and women who have
a weakness for gambling.(17)
As problem gamblers inevitably slide into the quicksand of debt, they
become desperate to "earn it all back." That almost never happens, and
even when it does, the addictive individual quickly loses everything again.
What follows in those cases is creeping poverty, family disintegration,
business failure, fraud, and other serious social ills. Many casino gamblers
are older. Up to 40 percent in some centers are over 55 years of age(18),
and it is too late for them to recover the devastating loss of their savings.
And believe me, that happens far too frequently. On our tour of the Atlantic
City casinos, it appeared that the majority of the patrons were well past
retirement age. The Toronto Sun described a familiar scene this way: "The
late night crowd 1/8at Casino Niagara is 3/8... unmistakably elderly. One
woman in her 70s sits at a $1 slot machine. She has her leg up on the chair
of another and her cane thrown over a third. She's playing all three machines
as fast as she can. I glance at my watch. It's 3:35 a.m. I decide to wait
for her and see if she'll talk with me when she leaves. (Casinos forbid
reporters to speak to their patrons anywhere on the property.) Eventually,
although I wait 'til 5:30 a.m., she outlasts me."(19)
The Cedar Rapids Gazette wrote last year, "The first thing you notice
when you walk in 1/8a casino 3/8 is that nobody is smiling. Hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of faces, and not a happy one in the crowd. The people could
be automatons, or the not quite perfect replicas of human beings in 'Invasion
of the Body Snatchers.' They sit there in front of their machines, going
through the motions by rote as though hypnotized, trapped in quiet desperation,
vacant expressions on their faces, looking for all the world like the victims
of a sweat shop in a union organizing film. These mind-numbed, slack-jawed
people sitting at the machines aren't assembly line workers turning out
an endless supply of widgets. They are playing slot machines, allegedly
having fun, although you'd never guess it by looking at them."(20)
But what about the glitz and glamour of Nevada? If one scratches beneath
the veneer of its gambling-induced prosperity, it becomes apparent that
a culture sown on greed and the exploitation of human weakness invariably
reaps the social whirlwind. Consider these documented facts: When compared
with the other 49 states, Nevada ranks first in the nation in suicide(21),
first in divorce(22), first in high school dropouts(23), first in homicide
against women(24), at the top in gambling addictions(25), third in bankruptcies(26),
third in abortion(27), fourth in rape(28), fourth in out-of wedlock births(29),
fourth in alcohol-related deaths(30), fifth in crime(31), and sixth in
the number of prisoners locked up(32). It ranks in the top one-third of
the nation in child abuse(33), and dead-last in voter participation(34).
One-tenth of all Southern Nevadans are alcoholics(35). And as for the moral
climate, the Yellow Pages in Las Vegas lists 136 pages of advertisements
for prostitution by its various names(36). No wonder they call it "Sin
City." George magazine named Las Vegas "One of the 10 Most Corrupt Cities
in America."(37)
Former deputy attorney general Chuck Gardner said, "I don't know if
there has ever been a situation with so much power concentrated in one
industry. It is government gone berserk."(38)
This is the legacy of the decision made in 1931 to build Nevada's economy
on greed and "get rich quick" schemes. Here's another way to illustrate
it: If a particular state were known to have the nation's highest incidence
of cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis, heart failure and six or eight other diseases,
its health officials would summon a team of epidemiologists to find out
why. But the gambling moguls in Nevada, who fully understand the havoc
created by their industry, continue to advertise Las Vegas as a wonderland
of jobs, tourism, excitement, and "a better life" for residents. They remind
me of tobacco executives in the 1980s who raked in obscene profits while
denying under oath the addictive and deadly properties of their products.
Tobacco manufacturers are now being sued for concealing what they knew,
and someday, the same may happen to the purveyors of gambling.
Let me make clear that my purpose here is not to vilify the working
people who live in the State of Nevada. I talked with many of the employees
of casinos who are members of the Culinary Union when I was in Las Vegas,
and found the majority to be hard-working men and women who were simply
trying to support their families. Some had escaped from the welfare trap
for the first time in their lives, and many had managed to buy a car or
a home. They are thankful for fair wages and generous benefits. One woman
begged me to tell our listeners that she and her co-workers were not "prostitutes
or pimps" as some Christians apparently believe; they are ordinary people
working hard to survive. I was drawn to these humble people and I stated
publicly that I would not do anything to disparage them. But the fact remains
that the business interest they serve does great harm to others. On balance,
gambling produces not prosperity and security but various forms of decay.
It's the same story everywhere. Take a trip sometime to Atlantic City,
N.J., which was described to our Commission by Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ)
as an "extraordinary success story,"(39) generated by casinos. I found
it difficult not to gag! The unemployment rate in Atlantic City is almost
three times the national average (12.7 percent).(40) While lavish casinos
light up the main thoroughfare of the city, the vacant land a block or
two on either side resembles a bombed-out war zone. Businesses used to
stand on those locations, but they are yesterday's hopes and dreams. More
than 200 restaurants have gone broke since the arrival of the casinos.(41)
Dry cleaners and specialty shops have disappeared. Even Donald Trump, owner
of the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, has admitted that fact. In a 1994 article,
he was quoted as saying, "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 businesses will suffer because they'll lose customer
dollars to the casinos."(42)
As you drive through Atlantic City, you will immediately see what Trump
meant. There among the run-down houses, homeless shelters and vacant land,
you might hear the echo of Sen. Torricelli's testimony before our Commission.
He said with a straight face: "Casinos saved Atlantic City and its people."(43)
In Biloxi, Tunica, Kansas City, Shreveport, Atlantic City and other gambling
centers, pawn shops are inevitably located near the casinos to fleece those
who are desperate for cash. They come offering jewelry, watches, spare
tires and guns -- anything to get more money to gamble. One pawnshop owner
in Reno, Nevada explained how casinos had impacted his business by displaying
a jar of gold-filled human teeth that his customers had pulled and pawned.(44)
An article in the New York Times stated, "Pawnbrokers here 1/8on the
Mississippi Gulf Coast 3/8 tell of late night gamblers who, unable to get
more cash on their credit cards, buy televisions and radios at 24-hour
discount stores, then pawn them for one-third of their value. Others pawn
whatever they have because they cannot wait until midnight, when their
bank cards will allow them to withdraw more money... 'I've sat in this
window at 4 in the morning and had people willing to pawn their wives,'
1/8said one owner 3/8. 'I've seen some sad stories.'"(45)
No wonder suicide is such a problem in gambling hot spots. One in 25
visitors who die in Las Vegas dies by his or her own hand.(46) And while
the FBI reports that the nation's homicide rate in 1996 recorded the largest
one-year drop in 35 years, murders in Las Vegas increased by 36 percent
that same year.(47) Something tragic is going on there and in the other
gambling centers of the nation.
In more recent years, Las Vegas and other cities have been advertising
themselves as destination vacations for the entire family. Let me tell
you about some of the children who tag along with their parents. About
11 percent of Las Vegas' projected 33 million visitors are people under
the age of 21, up nearly 50 percent from the early 1990s.(48) What happens
to them while they are there? This is what reporters have observed: The
Cincinnati Post reported that in many casinos, clusters of young children
-- as young as preschool age -- can be found running in corridors, reclining
on stairways or sitting against walls for hours while their parents finish
gambling. Late at night, some children are seen visibly struggling to remain
awake as their parents play blackjack or slots into the early morning hours.(49)
A maintenance worker named Andrew Sedano at a Las Vegas casino was quoted:
"I see kids outside by the pool while their parents are gambling inside...
I see kids as young as 3, 4 and 5 standing outside the doors late at night,
waiting for their parents. I just shake my head. They're the parents' responsibility.
And the parents are off gambling."(50)
Lisa Faye Kaplan wrote in USA Today in 1994: "Grant Spence is all of
9 years old, his face pressed against the glass of a Flip-It casino machine.
His blue eyes widen as a line of $1 coins falls into a slot, adding to
a shimmery jackpot. In the past, Grant rode horses in Colorado on vacation.
But this summer, the freckled-face youngster says gambling in Las Vegas
looks like more fun. 'You can win lots of money,' says the Houston boy
as he stands in the MGM Grand Casino and watches his mother feed Flip-It
another buck."(51)
In another article from USA Today about the "family-friendly" character
of Las Vegas, a security guard at the Four Queens Casino was quoted: "I
have had adults ask me, 'Where are the slot machines for juveniles?'"(52)
Some of the stories are even more tragic. Here's the account of one
child who became the topic of newscasts across the nation:
"A 7-year-old girl was raped and strangled in a hotel-casino, apparently
by a young man who was captured on a surveillance videotape following her
into a women's bathroom. Sherrice Iverson's body was discovered inside
a locked corner stall in the bathroom at the Primadonna 1/8Casino 3/8 in
Primm 1/8Nevada 3/8, about 40 miles from Las Vegas... The girl was slain
early Sunday after security guards warned her 1/8father 3/8 three times
that night not to leave her alone in an arcade while 1/8he was 3/8 gambling...
The surveillance tapes show the girl possibly playing hide-and-seek in
the arcade with two men in their late teens or early 20s. At 3:48 a.m.
the girl darted into the women's restroom, and one of the men followed
her. The man came out alone 25 minutes later... After the girl's slaying,
her father, Leroy Iverson, 57, of Los Angeles, tried to cut a deal with
the hotel, said one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 'He said
he wouldn't sue anybody if they would give him $100 to gamble with, free
beer, fly his girlfriend in from out of town, and he wanted money for the
arcade' for the girl's 14-year-old brother."(53)
"One of the Las Vegas homicide detectives investigating Sherrice's killing
said he was amazed by the number of unsupervised children at the Primadonna
hotel arcade... Based on a viewing of surveillance videos of the arcade...
the officer said he 'counted at least 40 kids in the arcade at 3 in the
morning, and didn't see any adults.'"(54) At one moment little Sherrice
was laughing and playing in the casino; the next, she had fallen victim
to a killer who had seized upon her momentary vulnerability. She was not
the only youngster to have lost his or her life in proximity to a casino.
In the last two years, at least two babies have suffocated in hot cars
while their parents or babysitters compulsively pumped money into slot
machines.(55) So many children have been left in cars parked in lots at
the enormous Foxwoods Casino that the managers (the Mashantucket Pequot
Indian tribe) had to post signs warning parents not to leave their kids
unattended.(56) Bad things happen to children when parents are preoccupied,
and the lure of riches is the ultimate distraction. Boys and girls have
no business being in such places -- if for no other reason, because they
are being exposed to an activity that could destroy them one day. IF YOU
CHOOSE TO GAMBLE, PLEASE, LEAVE THE KIDS AT HOME UNDER COMPETENT SUPERVISION.
Well, perhaps this discussion today explains in small measure what I've
observed about gambling in the past 19 months, and why I remain radically
opposed to it. Simply stated, this activity, euphemistically called "gaming,"
is a destroyer. It ruins lives and wrecks families. My greatest concern
is for the children who suffer most when their parents engage in risky
behavior.
Before closing, let me share a final perspective about the epidemic
that is sweeping the nation. It reflects the enormous power and influence
that is currently held by the gambling kingpins. Because of their unlimited
financial resources that reportedly amount to $50 billion or more per year,(57)
they can influence elections dramatically and entice political leaders
to do their bidding. Indeed, the gambling lobby is the most powerful force
in government today, and its masters are not reluctant to use it!
Consider the most recent national elections. Ten million dollars was
spent in Missouri to gain approval for the controversial casino "boats
in moats."(58) And I've already mentioned the gubernatorial race in South
Carolina, in which Gov. David Beasley was defeated by a gambling-funded
opponent.(59) The other governor who lost in November, Fob James of Alabama,
faced a $7 million war chest(60) controlled, I'm told, by those who wanted
a lottery in that state. James opposed it -- and lost. Time said presidential
advisor James Carville has developed a strategy to penetrate the "solid
South" for the Democrats. The key is for them to pick off anti-gambling
governors one by one. The industry will provide the funds to accomplish
it.(61)
Rep. Steve Largent, a recent candidate for Majority Leader in the House
of Representatives, was vigorously opposed by gambling interests. The Las
Vegas Sun reported that casino heavyweights helped submarine his candidacy.
One gambling leader told the paper, "He's a supporter of the Christian
Coalition and would be bad for the gaming industry."(62)
Indian tribes pulled off the greatest prize. They spent more than $70
million in advertising during the recent California election, gaining approval
from voters to put largely unregulated and untaxed casinos all over the
state.(63) California will never be the same -- although its citizens appear
to not yet realize it.
How about our politicians in Washington? The leaders of both parties
have accepted campaign contributions. Steve Wynn, ("Mr. Las Vegas") has
sent his plush jet to the Capitol to bring powerful politicians to lucrative
fundraisers.(64) His guests have included Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, both
of whom were hustled off to Vegas in 1996 to pick up $500,000 checks.(65)
Ultimately, they received more than a million dollars each in "soft money."(66)
Dole attended so many Nevada fundraisers that he was nicknamed "Vegas Bob"
by one magazine.(67) Newt Gingrich(68), Trent Lott(69), Al Gore(70), Thomas
Daschle(71), Richard Gephardt(72), Tom DeLay(73), Mitch McConnell(74),
Bill Frist(75) and many other political leaders have been treated to the
same "courtesy." Sen. Richard Bryan (D-Nev), who has received $264,000
in gambling-related PAC and individual contributions since 1991,(76) has
done everything possible to undermine the Commission and interfere with
its work. Almost every "big name" in Washington is tainted by gambling
money, and their gratitude becomes evident when votes are cast in Congress.
In all, more than thirteen million dollars has been contributed to political
campaigns in recent years, totaling $6.1 million to Republicans and $7.6
million to Democrats.(77) Obviously, it matters not which party a politician
represents as long as he or she plays the tunes dictated by the piper.
And, by the way, the person calling most of the tunes these days, other
than Steve Wynn, is Frank Fahrenkopf, former chairman of the Republican
National Committee. He is now paid $800,000 per year(78) to use his influence
on behalf of the gambling industry.
Here are some other recipients of "hard money" from the gambling industry
for the period of 1991-96:
-
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev) $348,459
-
Rep. John Ensign (R-Nev) $214,686
-
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) $77,150
-
Rep. James Gibbons (R-Nev) $75,100
-
Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) $70,600
-
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) $36,250
-
Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo) $24,000
-
Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn) $21,500
-
Sen. Thomas Daschle (D-S.D.) $18,750
-
Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL) $18,500
-
Sen. John Breaux (D-LA) $17,253(79)
Is it not surprising, given this history, that Congress rarely opposes
anything desired by the gambling industry. It explains why Majority Leader
Trent Lott fought the creation of the Commission,(80) and why he has used
his influence to authorize gambling enterprises in his home state of Mississippi.(81)
Washingtonian magazine said, "Lott has cozied up to Steve Wynn, who not
only has provided Lott with use of his private jet but also has given him
thousands in campaign contributions 1/8in 1997-98 3/8."(82) It tells us
why Bill Clinton first favored granting subpoena power for the Commission
but then changed his mind shortly after flying off to Vegas for a golf
junket with -- guess who? -- Steve Wynn.(83) Consequently, the Commission
was denied the authority to require testimony from key witnesses. This
is how government works in Washington these days. While the needs of families
are ignored, such as the unfair "marriage penalty tax" that was left intact
last year after Republicans promised specifically to repeal it,(84) our
representatives continue dancing to the beat of gambling interests across
the nation. They should feel our displeasure.
It is my belief that NO special interest group should ever be given
such power over the electoral and legislative process as occurs today.
As long as money sets the agenda, gambling will continue to grow and shape
the fabric of American culture.
There is so much more I would like to say about this subject, but I'll
save it for my next letter. Then I will discuss lotteries and the other
forms of gambling that are becoming dominant. I know this is an unpleasant
subject, but if my colleagues and I can invest two years of our lives to
the effort to understand the scope and implications of this problem, maybe
my friends will take a few minutes to review the results. Unfortunately,
I doubt if Washington will be among those who will listen. Its power brokers
have too much to lose by irritating the industry that helps keep them in
office.
Thanks so much for your support during these busy and challenging days.
We could not continue without your partnership. Please remember to be in
prayer for our Commission as we complete this difficult assignment, and
especially, hold up the name of our chairperson, Mrs. Kay Coles James.
She is attacked by someone nearly every day. I know the feeling!
Happy New Year and God's blessings to you all.
Sincerely in Christ,
James C. Dobson, Ph.D
President
"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."
(1Tim. 6:9 KJV)
1) U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of
the United States: 1997, (117th edition) Washington D.C., 1997, p. 769;
Eugene Martin Christiansen, "A New Entitlement," International Gaming and
Wagering Business, August 1998, p. 3
2) Christiansen, op. cit.
3) Tim Poor, "1 in 5 of Homeless in Survey Blame Gambling,"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 1998, p. A9
4) Andrew Quinn, "Studies Find Many Teens Hooked on Gambling,"
Philadelphia Inquirer, August 16, 1998
5) Arnold Wexler, "Statistical Information on Compulsive
Gamblers," Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, Inc., p. 2
6) Joe Rutherford, "Resist Expansion of Casino Gambling,"
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, September 30, 1995, p. 6A
7) Patricia McQueen, "North American Gaming at a Glance,"
International Gaming and Wagering Business, September 1998, p. 21
8) Viveca Novak, "They Call it Video Crack," Time, June
1, 1998, p. 58
9) Edward Walsh, "Gambling's Election Win," The Washington
Post, November 6, 1998, p. A1
10) Testimony of Dr. Frank Quinn, Carolina Psychiatric
Services, Columbia, S.C. before the National Gambling Impact Study Commission,
Las Vegas, Nevada, November 10, 1998
11) Carol Bidwell, "Welcome to Boomtown: New York-New
York is Just One of Many Megaresorts Rising from the Desert," Ft. Worth
Star-Telegram, March 2, 1997, Travel Section, p. 2
12) "MGM Grand, Inc., Reports Ninth Consecutive Increase
in Quarterly Net Income and Record Annual Earnings," PR Newswire, January
29, 1998
13) Peter Keating, "Lotto Fever: We All Lose!" Money,
May 1996, pp. 144, 147; Donald E. Miller and Patrick A. Pierce, "Lotteries
for Education: Windfall or Hoax?" State and Local Government Review, Winter
1997, pp. 40-41
14) "Clinton Signs Gambling Study Bill," United Press
International, August 3, 1996
15) Geoff Dornan, "Nevada's Gambling Industry Turns 50,"
United Press International, March 20, 1981
16) Ed Vogel, "702 Fight May Split Nevada," Las Vegas
Review-Journal, January 13, 1998, p. 1A
17) Henry Lesieur, "Measuring the Costs of Pathological
Gambling," Revision of the presentation to the Tenth International Conference
on Gambling and Risk Taking," Montreal, Quebec, June 1997; E.J. Grinols
and J.D. Omorov, "Development or Dreamfield Delusions?" Assessing Casino
Gambling's Costs and Benefits, The Journal of Law and Commerce, University
of Pittsburgh School of Law, Fall 1996, pp. 58-60
18) Illinois Gaming Board, "Patron Survey," April 1998,
p. 2
19) Jean Sonmor, "High Rollers... and Big Losers," Toronto
Sun, May 11, 1997, p. 12
20) Mike Dupree, "Are Slots Too Big a Gamble?", Cedar
Rapids Gazette, March 9, 1998
21) U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of
the United States 1997, 117th edition, p. 99
22) Ibid., p. 108
23) Ibid., p. 161
24) Sue Glick, "Number of Females Murdered by Males in
Single Victim/Single Offender Homicides and Rates by States, 1996, Ranked
by Rate," Violence Policy Center, Washington D.C., September 1998
25) Rob Bhatt, "Assigning Responsibility for Responsible
Gambling," Las Vegas Business Press, June 22, 1998, p. 8; "Gaming Industry
'Amazed' Over Neighborhood Slots Debate," Las Vegas Sun, February 20, 1998;
Rex Buntain, "There's a Problem in the House," International Gaming and
Wagering Business, July 1996, p. 40; Paul Pringle, "Dealing with Addiction:
Las Vegas' Gaming Industry a Backdrop for High Rate of Compulsive Gamblers,"
Dallas Morning News, May 30, 1997, p. 1A
26) Source: Mana Zarinejad, Public Affairs Coordinator,
American Bankruptcy Institute
27) U.S. Bureau of the Census, op. cit., p. 87
28) Ibid., p. 202
29) Ibid., p. 79
30) "County Alcohol Problem Indicators 1986-1990," U.S.
Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual, Volume 3, National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, July 1994
31) U.S. Bureau of the Census, op. cit., p. 202
32) Darrell K. Gilliard and Allen J. Beck, "Prisoners
in 1997," Bureau of Justice Statistic Bulletin, August 1998, p. 5
33) National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect
Information, "Child Maltreatment 1996: Reports from the States to the National
Child Abuse and Neglect Data System."
34) U.S. Bureau of the Census, op. cit., p. 290
35) Ken Ward, "City of Losers," Las Vegas City Life,
October 30, 1997
36) Barry M. Horstman, "New Vegas: Original Sin City
Tries Family Values," Cincinnati Post, September 16, 1997
37) "Boomtown's Big Landgrab: Las Vegas, Nevada," George,
March 1998
38) Ibid.
39) Testimony of Senator Robert Torricelli before the
National Gambling Impact Study Commission, January 21, 1998
40) "1997 Annual Average Labor Force Estimates by Municipality,"
New Jersey Department of Labor, Office of Labor Planning and Analysis
41) "Federal Gambling Panel Wraps Up Two-Day Visit to
Atlantic City," Las Vegas Sun, January 23, 1998
42) Phillip Longman, "Crapshoot: Casino Promoters Promise
Floridians a Chance to Win Big," Florida Trend, May 1994, p. 30A
43) Torricelli, op. cit.
44) Jim Stafford, "A Look at the Issues: Missouri," Focus
on the Family daily broadcast, October 19, 1994
45) Brett Pulley, "In Gulf Casinos' Wake, a Pawnshop
Boom," New York Times, December 13, 1997, p. A1
46) David P. Phillips, Ph.D., Ward R. Welty, B.A., and
Marisa M. Smith, M.A., "Elevated Suicide Levels Associated with Legalized
Gambling," Journal of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Winter 1997,
p. 374
47) "Crime Down Nationally, Vegas Homicides Up 36 Percent,"
Las Vegas Sun, June 2, 1997
48) Horstman, op. cit.
49) Ibid.
50) Carol Morello, "Child's Killing in Casino Ignites
An Old Debate: Las Vegas is Seeking a Family Trade. Some Say That
Children and Gaming Don't Mix," Philadelphia Inquirer, June 1, 1997
51) Lisa Faye Kaplan, "Casinos Wager on Families for
the Future," USA Today, August 31, 1994, 6A
52) Cathy Lynn Grossman, "Vegas Heaps its Chips on Adults,"
USA Today, April 26, 1996
53) Associated Press, May 28, 1997
54) Tom Gorman and John Mitchell, "Slaying Fuels Debate
over Children's Safety in Casinos," Los Angeles Times, May 29, 1997
55) Pam Louwagie, "Baby Left in Van by Sitter Dies --
Toddler's Fever Hits 107.5 While Woman Gambled," New Orleans Times-Picayune,
April 12, 1997, p. 1A; Jesse Holland, "Baby Dies from Dehydration While
Mom Plays Video Poker," Associated Press, September 3, 1997
56) Stephanie Saul, "Tribe Bets on Growth; High-Stakes
Foxwoods Expansion Not Welcome by All," Newsday, August 11, 1997, p. A5
57) Christiansen, op. cit.
58) Phil Sutin, "Industry Spent $10 Million To Back 'Boats
in Moats,' Spending Reports Show Opponents Spent $320,000," St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
December 4, 1998
59) Curtis Wilke, "A Carolina Campaign May Turn on a
Lottery," The Boston Globe, October 21, 1998, p. A3
60) "Election State by State," Associated Press, November
4, 1998
61) Peter Beinart, "The Carville Trick," Time, November
16, 1998, p. 58
62) Jeff German, "Casinos Flex Muscles in GOP Races,"
Las Vegas Sun, November 17, 1998
63) Virginia Ellis, "Tribes Emerge as Powerful Players
in State Politics," Los Angeles Times, November 9, 1998
64) "Senators to Vegas: Wynn-ter Wonderland," The Hotline,
November 21, 1997
65) Martin Koughan, "Easy Money," Mother Jones, July/August,
1997, p. 37; "Dole Raises $500,000 with LV Visit," Las Vegas Sun, June
2, 1995
66) Brett Pulley, "Casinos Increase Their Contributions
To U.S. Campaigns," New York Times, March 23, 1998; Don Van Natta, Jr.,
"Indian Tribes Say Aid Comes Only to Those Who Donate to Democrats," New
York Times, November 17, 1997
67) "Vegas Bob: Nevada Gambling Interests and Bob Dole,"
The Nation, February 12, 1996
68) Jon Ralston, "Terms of Surrender," Casino Journal,
June 1996
69) Richard S. Durham, "Guess Who's Raking it in From
Gambling," Business Week, October 12, 1998
70) "Gore, Gephardt Head to Vegas," The Hotline, March
10, 1998
71) "The Casino-Campaign Connection," The Hartford Courant,
July 7, 1997, p. A8
72) Robert L. Koenig, "Trips Gephardt Takes Frequent
Flights in Corporate Jets," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 26, 1991, p.
1A
73) German op. cit.
74) "GOP Senators Go For Gambling Money," The Bulletin's
Frontrunner, November 21, 1997
75) Ibid.
76) "Top 1996 Donors by Industry: Senator Richard Bryan,"
Center For Responsive Politics
77) Brett Pulley, "Casinos Increase Their Contributions
to U.S. Campaigns," New York Times, March 23, 1998
78) Brett Pulley, "A Gambling Impresario Leaves Little
to Chance," The New York Times, December 7, 1998
79) "Top 1996 Donors by Industry," Center For Responsive
Politics
80) Dennis Camire, "Mississippi Senators Finally Back
Gambling Commission Bill," Gannett News Service, July 18, 1996
81) Joby Warrick, "Lott Backs Casinos Planned For Undeveloped
Coastal Bays," The Washington Post, October 18, 1998, p. A8
82) Kim Eisler, "Local Lawyers and Lobbyists Have Big
Stakes in Gambling," Washingtonian Magazine, November, 1998
83) Koughan, op. cit., p. 37
84) Catalina Carnia, "Republicans Promise To Address
Religious Conservatives' Social Issues; Meeting Designed to Help Rift in
GOP," Dallas Morning News, May 9, 1998
NATIONAL GAMBLING IMPACT STUDY COMMISSION
FACT SHEET
The Commission was created by the 104th Congress through
Public Law 104169, which was signed by President Clinton on August 3, 1996.
The length of the Commission is two years from the date of its first meeting,
which was June 20, 1997. The report to Congress, the President, and the
governors is due by June 20, 1999.
Under the establishing legislation, the Commission is
charged to conduct a comprehensive legal and factual study of the social
and economic impacts of gambling on federal, state, local, and Native American
tribal governments; and on communities and social institutions.
The law outlines six specific areas that at a minimum
should be studied:
-
A review of existing federal, state, local and Native American
tribal government policies and practices with respect to the legalization
or prohibition of gambling, including a review of the costs of such policies
and practices;
-
An assessment of the relationship between gambling and levels
of crime, and of existing enforcement and regulatory practices that are
intended to address any such relationship;
-
An assessment of pathological or problem gambling, including
its impact on individuals, families, businesses, social institutions, and
the economy;
-
An assessment of the impacts of gambling on individuals,
families, businesses, social institutions, and the economy generally, including
the role of advertising in promoting gambling and the impact of gambling
in depressed economic areas;
-
An assessment of the extent to which gambling provides revenues
to state, local, and Native American tribal governments, and the extent
to which possible alternative revenue sources may exist for such governments;
and
-
An assessment of the interstate and international effects
of gambling by electronic means, including the use of interactive technologies
and the Internet.
The Commission is composed of nine Commissioners:
-
Kay Coles James (Chair); Dean of the Robertson School of
Government, RegentUniversity
-
William A. Bible; Chairman of the Nevada State Gaming Control
Board
-
James C. Dobson, Ph.D.; Founder and President of Focus on
the Family
-
J. Terrence Lanni; Chairman of the Board and CEO of MGM Grand,
Inc.
-
Richard C. Leone; President of the Twentieth Century Fund
-
Robert W. Loescher; President and CEO of Sealaska Corporation
-
Leo T. McCarthy; Former Lieutenant Governor of California
-
Paul Harold Moore, M.D.; Founding Member and President of
Singing River Radiology Group
-
John W. Wilhelm; General Secretary-Treasurer for the Hotel
Employees & Restaurant Employees International Union
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