Parx: The McDonald's of Gambling Addiction and Child Abandonment

Parx, an indistinguishable Slot Barn, has become the poster child for Child Abandonment.

Pennsylvania's willingness to blindly follow the corrupt trail of the Gambling Industry endorsed legislation at midnight on the Fourth of July, without ever considering the experience of others.

Initially, they failed to include within the Slap Dash legislation provision to address a widely known problem among Gambling Addicts - CHILD ABANDONMENT that jeopardizes the safety and survival of children.

Pennsylvania was targeted with $60 million from a wildly profitable Industry that thrives on creating New Gamblers and New Addicts - that's the Business Model.






One of the comments was particularly striking [emphasis mine]:


by AandNGrandma January 15, 2011 10:17 AM EST
Having viewed the show and read all the comments to date, I would like to "weigh in" on this issue, which is one of the largest public health issues of our time: pathological/compulsive gambling. The comments have been littered with opinions--not facts--and with negatives on both sides of this issue. I, for one, am not interested in opinions rather than facts, rhetoric that tries to persuade without facts. And for people on both sides of the issue to call people "idiots" makes one wonder who the "idiots" are!

Make no mistake about it. There ARE experts "out there" who ARE NOT BEING funded by the gambling interests. One of those experts is Dr. Earl L. Grinols,"Gambling in America." Dr. Grinols begins one chapter with a quote from Martin Luther King: "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." I don't doubt the sincerity of all who have commented. I do doubt how well informed many of them are. Dr. Grinols has done the research as has Dr. John Kindt, a business law professor, who says, "Governments used to be protectors that provided police and fire...now they're predators, advertising to and preying on the public." That is the real issue regarding the expansion of gambling without further, unbiased information being provided to the public. How can legislators looking for the "quick fix" now become the biggest "pushers of an addictive product without dealing with facts? (I have always been a supporter of Ed Rendell but can no longer be! His behavior on Sunday night was the same arrogance that we see in many politicians today. That has to stop!)

Another issue is figures that get thrown around about how small a percentage of people are actually addicted. The conservative experts use the figure of from to 3 to 5%. Others have the figure from 7 to 10%. Considering this is called the "hidden addiction," and because the pathological gambler is in denial until his or her last source of money to fuel the addiction is gone, the 3 to 5% is inaccurate, and the figure is more than likely much higher. However, I would ask those who support casinos, lotteries, etc., which 3 to 5% of your family are you willing to give up to this illness? And those of you who reject that it is an illness even though the facts do not support you, what do you call it? If the person who gambles excessively is not ill and is just a no-good embezzler, thief, bad parent or spouse, unreliable employee, etc., what percentage of our population would you accept before thinking something needed to be done? Research shows that a pathological gambler affects in a negative way at least 10 other people: children, parents, spouses, other relatives, employers, friends, more. Now! Are we talking about a small number of people?

Les Bernal, Ex. Director of Stop Preadatory [sic] Gambling put the emphasis on the word "predatory." Our government should never be in the role of predator. The study done by the National Gambling Impact Study commission made many suggestions not the least of which was to stop the expansion of gambling in the country until further information was gathered. All of the recommendations were ignored as has all the further information that has been gathered. All because we have become a nation of greedy people who want the "quick fix." And many of our leaders are leading us down a very slippery slope--literally building budgets on a "house of cards!"

As to respect for 60 Minutes, my respect has gone up greatly for them! They have actually produced the first national media show that has begun to pick up the rock of the gambling business in America. (God only knows what will crawl out from under THAT rock!!!!) Have no doubt about it! Gambling is a business--albeit a scurrilous one! They are not in business to lose money, and anyone who does "win," is winning on the backs of the addicts who do not spend "extra cash" that they have. They gamble ALL the money they have; and when they run out of their own money, they are quite adept at taking money from others!

If one is armed with the facts, informed decisions, which will be quite different than some of the ones expressed in these comments, can be made. Contrary to what gambling interests would have us believe, there really is a LOT of research done so that we all can make informed decisions! They want to downplay the research and convince the suckers who are born every minute that they exist to entetain [sic] them!

As an aside: If anyone reading this is either a compulsive gambler or someone who is being affected by someone with a gambling problem, check local phonebooks for Gamblers Anonymous or Gam-Anon family groups numbers, go on the website of these groups, or use the 1-800 number listed in an above comment. You are not alone! Even if we have legislators and some of the people making comments here who think you are an insignificant number and have a choice, there are others who know differently.

History worth re-visiting:

The McDonald's of Gambling

Of patrons' visits:

"You said 150 to 200 times a year," he repeated. "That's three to four times a week, essentially."

"Yes," Jonas confirmed, most of his players fit that profile. In fact, because Parx players tend to live within 20 miles of Street Road, many go even more frequently.

"We have customers," Jonas boasted, "who give us $25, $30 five times a week."



Parx

Parx 2

Pennsylvania


Governor Rendell



Parx is only casino with child-abandonment problem
The most recent incident is the 10th since February 2010. The casino may be fined if the problem persists.
By Suzette Parmley, Inquirer Staff Writer
JOSEPH KACZMAREK / Staff

For all its success, Parx Casino in Bensalem has a problem it can't seem to shake: negligent adults going in to gamble and leaving children alone in vehicles.

The latest incident - the 10th since Feb. 18, 2010 - involved a 29-year-old man, who was arrested and jailed Saturday after security officers discovered his 6-year-old daughter unattended in a locked car in the parking lot.

In a separate but similar case, Frances Casey, 39, of Abington, was charged Monday with endangering the welfare of children and will be issued a court summons. Police said she left her two nephews, ages 1 and 2, and a 9-year-old niece, in her automobile on July 16 - also for at least 17 minutes - while she gambled at Parx.