2008 Woodie Awards
Massachusetts casinos a bad bet
Nick Milano. He is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at nmilano@student.umass.edu.
Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Editorial / Opinion
It no real surprise that Deval Patrick is planning and advocating for the authorization of three casinos in Massachusetts. His dreams to make community college free for all students and to make Massachusetts a center for research in the life sciences will require sufficient funding that the state cannot yet support. So why not invite casinos to Massachusetts, hold a public bid for them, and reap the supposed millions of dollars that taxation of the casino industry might provide?
From a probable increase in crime to an expected increase in problem and addicted gamblers, there are enough drawbacks to scare off proponents of gambling. To understand the potential dangers of compulsive gambling, one has to look no further than a study from the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling on the gambling behaviors of Massachusetts high-school students. Of those surveyed, one in 20 had already been arrested for gambling related activity, one in 10 mentioned family problems due to gambling and, most shockingly, 13 percent revealed that even when they wanted to stop gambling, they were unable to walk away.
With the recent boom in the popularity of the World Series of Poker, it is not surprising to hear that high school kids like to play poker with friends, but this study was performed 13 years ago, long before the World Series was a nationally televised, $12.5 million affair. One can only wonder how high those percentages might climb if there are casinos a quick train ride or a short drive away for everyone in Massachusetts.
In addition to the dangers local casinos pose to compulsive gamblers and their families, the state must consider the logistics of regulating the gambling industry. Both New Jersey and Nevada have extensive agencies whose sole purpose is to monitor the business practices of the casinos. New Jersey has separate boards to govern over the Lottery and the casinos while also boasting two more agencies to regulate and investigate the gambling industry.
From a probable increase in crime to an expected increase in problem and addicted gamblers, there are enough drawbacks to scare off proponents of gambling. To understand the potential dangers of compulsive gambling, one has to look no further than a study from the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling on the gambling behaviors of Massachusetts high-school students. Of those surveyed, one in 20 had already been arrested for gambling related activity, one in 10 mentioned family problems due to gambling and, most shockingly, 13 percent revealed that even when they wanted to stop gambling, they were unable to walk away.
With the recent boom in the popularity of the World Series of Poker, it is not surprising to hear that high school kids like to play poker with friends, but this study was performed 13 years ago, long before the World Series was a nationally televised, $12.5 million affair. One can only wonder how high those percentages might climb if there are casinos a quick train ride or a short drive away for everyone in Massachusetts.
In addition to the dangers local casinos pose to compulsive gamblers and their families, the state must consider the logistics of regulating the gambling industry. Both New Jersey and Nevada have extensive agencies whose sole purpose is to monitor the business practices of the casinos. New Jersey has separate boards to govern over the Lottery and the casinos while also boasting two more agencies to regulate and investigate the gambling industry.
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