Merchant of Deceit

Must-watch video of a Merchant of Deceit
by Les

Roxbury News captures Sands Bethlehem (PA) president Robert DeSalvio testifying before the Pennsylvania Legislature that sending monthly statements to gamblers about their losses will violate privacy and may encourage citizens to gamble more because it will remind them about their loss, potentially creating the urge to chase.

Casinos spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year to build the very best information databases on their gamblers, allowing them to send all kinds of predatory marketing materials – often in real time – with the specific intent of getting the gambler to chase. DeSalvio’s testimony was willfully dishonest. Watch it for yourself below.

If you have casinos in your state, please contact your legislators and ask them to support proposals that will force casino operators to send monthly statements to their patrons detailing the amount of money they wagered and lost for the prior month. Here is the text of Pennsylvania's proposed bill. The predatory gambling trade will fight against this because they know their business model is based on addiction and indebtedness - and that 90% of their profits come from 10% of their customers. Below is a sample letter you can use.

Thank you,

Les Bernal
Executive Director
Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation


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Dear Legislator,

Please support a proposal that would force casinos in our state to send monthly statements to their patrons detailing the amount of money they wagered and lost for the prior month.

These statements would help problem gamblers from losing more of their hard-earned money at the casinos. The casino business model is based on addiction and indebtedness and monthly statements would give citizens the opportunity to think twice about going deeper and deeper into debt.

Here is a link to a proposal currently being debated in the Pennsylvania legislature: http://stoppredatorygambling.org/wp-content/uploads/Pennsylvania-HB-587.pdf

Thank you,

(Your Name)

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Please note: Massachusetts Legislators absolutely refused to support monthly statements when legislation was passed last year.

Monthly statements would have informed patrons of their losses on a regular basis.

The Industry dictated the legislation and that's not what they want.

Please ask your legislators to support an Independent Cost Benefit Analysis before any action is taken.