State lawmakers bet gambling can help with budgets

[jas2587]

not sure where this goes so forgive me if wrong

A tell-tale sign America's chips are down: States are increasingly turning to gambling to plug budget holes.

Proposals to allow or expand slots or casinos are percolating in at least 14 states, tempting legislators and governors at a time when many must decide between cutting services and raising taxes.

Gambling has hard-core detractors in every state, but when the budget-balancing alternatives lawmakers must consider include reducing education funding or lifting sales taxes, resistance is easier to overcome, political analysts said.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D95UBR4G0.html

Cindy

[lots0]

It is really not very funny that law makers are so stupid as to think that Gambling will "Save" their State.

If people don't have jobs, homes or money, what are they going to use to gamble with? Body parts?

Gambling only generates the state income when the Economy is strong.

It is really really scary that our elected officials are this stupid...

[spiderlegz]

Only shows that they have limited or no knowledge in economics.

Tought at first to make my pro gradu about our national gambling monopoly (didnt in the end) and stumbled across an interesting study about the costs versus benefits of casinos.

Heres a short summary of it:
http://news.illinois.edu/biztips/01/10gamble.html

The original analysis was about 20 pages and seemed to be the most accurate in this topic I have read so far.

Edit: The researchers mentioned in the article are quite anti-gambling but its still the most accurate cost-benefit analysis I have read.

[vinylweatherman]

Proof, if ever it was needed, that UIGEA was nothing to do with the fight against organised crime, protection of vulnerable individuals etc.


They have got rid of most of the legitimate online gambling sites, and now see the opportunity to offer state sponsored opportunities, and some are likely to include online ones.

They have missed the boat though, this could backfire if the introduction of state gambling in an expanded form is accompanied with a sharp increase of addiction, family breakups, etc, all caused through someone piling money into state venues. Many may say that the problems were far less when online gambling was tolerated by most states.

The UK government, at various times, has been accused of using our national lottery to provide core funding, that should be the responsibility of goverment, by siphoning off some of the "good causes" revenue. The 2012 Olympic games is being part funded by the NATIONAL lottery, but will only really benefit Londoners.

[lots0]

I have always insisted that the UGIEA was all about Protectionism. Protecting the land based casinos from the online competition.

The UK government, at various times, has been accused of using our national lottery to provide core funding, that should be the responsibility of goverment, by siphoning off some of the "good causes" revenue. The 2012 Olympic games is being part funded by the NATIONAL lottery, but will only really benefit Londoners.

In the US, the legal and regulated state lotteries fund all aspects of government. From schools and roads to state employee salaries.

Some states are so dependent on the income from the lottery that when lottery sales fall they cut funding to social services...