Bill Bollom: More casinos not good for Wisconsin

Bill Bollom: More casinos not good for Wisconsin
Oct. 24, 2013

Recently, there has been much discussion on more casinos in our state. The discussion centers on which Indian tribes will benefit and which will be hurt by adding more casinos. No one talks about the impact on all citizens of Wisconsin. I will help fill that void, but first a caveat: I don’t gamble (although I do occasionally play a round of cribbage for a dollar and bragging rights). I have never been to Vegas and I have never purchased a lottery ticket, but I am part American Indian.

Casinos provide benefits primarily to tribal members; jobs, social, some cold hard cash, and educational and health care facilities. This is a considerable and much appreciated benefit to some Wisconsin citizens. Wisconsin taxpayers get a small share of their winnings too, but much of that is earmarked for Indian interests. Casinos also provide a social and recreational experience for many of the elderly (and not so elderly) in our state, who have little or no interest in gambling. Casinos have been very beneficial in some people’s lives, but for some it has destroyed their lives.

Casinos primarily make their money from those who gamble; they advertise, “Easy Street. It’s Only a Play Away.” Gambling preys on poor people, luring them in with the promise of a life free from financial stress.

Addictive gambling increases as access to gambling increases. Many people lack any self-restraint.

About 4-10 percent of gamblers have this problem. It’s estimated that half of casino revenue comes from them. This results in many social problems; increased personal bankruptcies, crime rates, domestic abuse, loan sharking, divorce, suicide, homelessness and welfare services.

Casinos do not benefit the total economy. Casino revenue is cannibalized from other sectors of the local economy. The jobs created in the casinos are lost in other businesses. If money wasn’t lost gambling, it would be spent on furniture, cars, etc. Manufacturing job losses are partly caused by casinos.

Casinos also cannibalize one another. Every Wisconsin citizen is already within 2 hours of a casino.

There is practically no new gambling revenue created by building more casinos. The only way casinos can benefit Wisconsin’s economy is if out-of-state gamblers come to our state, as in Vegas, but our neighboring states all have casinos, many of them located near our borders. Actually, the growth of internet gambling will no doubt result in less business for our current casinos. The required investment by local communities to handle a new casino will be difficult to justify.

My golfing buddies tell me, “People have a right to spend their money as stupidly as they want; it’s a free country,” but we shouldn’t be encouraging a mother to gamble away the kid’s lunch money.

I realize that gambling is deep rooted in man’s social environment. It cannot be stopped, no matter what the consequences on the player or the family – but we don’t have to encourage it. I know that I will not encourage our grandchildren to gamble. No person can be a long-term net winner at casinos, unless they cheat. Casino gambling is inconsistent with ideals like perseverance and hard work. The risk involved in playing casino games is not the same as the risk the pioneers took or the risk business people take every day.

On balance, the addition of more casinos is not something our governor should support. It makes about as much sense as luring in more tort lawyers to practice in our state. We can only hope our governor takes no contributions to his reelection campaign from the 11 tribes in Wisconsin. If he does, he will become beholding to them just like the Democrats did under Gov. Jim Doyle. We will again see expanded casino operations, with likely four more in our state, and, in my opinion, this is not at all good.



http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20131028/OSH0602/310280071/Bill-Bollom-More-casinos-not-good-Wisconsin?nclick_check=1