A Big Bet Gone Bad

A Big Bet Gone Bad

Large-scale gambling used for tax revenue is bad economics and worse public policy. A casino is an economic “win” for a region only if most gamblers come from elsewhere. If most come from nearby — as is now common, with casinos in so many places — then as one gambling scholar said, “You simply cannot grow an economy by taking money out of it.” You drain local wallets while shifting the tax burden to the lower-income folks who are hurt most by their losses. Then add the sad stories I’ve heard from public officials in casino areas across the country. Bankruptcies, embezzlement, broken families — we’re seeing it now, here in Pennsylvania.

MIKE VARGO,Pittsburgh, posted on nytimes.com