Gambling hurts poor; voters must repeal law. It’s inevitable.

Gambling hurts poor; voters must repeal law

IT IS no surprise that out-of-state, multibillion dollar casino interests are spending huge sums to block Massachusetts citizens from voting on a casino repeal (“Casino firms to fight repeal effort,” Page A1, Jan. 27).

What is also no surprise is the mounting pile of independent evidence revealing that government policies promoting casinos are contributing to unfairness and inequality in our nation. It is harming health, draining wealth from people in the lower ranks of the income distribution, and contributing to economic inequality. These are among the findings of recent report from the Council on Casinos, an independent group of scholars convened by the Institute for American Values, a nonpartisan think tank.

Casinos spend billions of dollars on lawyers, polls, public health research, donations to influential nonprofits, lobbying, media relations, and advertising. But despite this unparalleled spending, they cannot change the ironclad fact that casinos produce unfairness and inequality.

It’s not a matter of if casinos will be repealed in Massachusetts, but when. It’s inevitable.

 

Les Bernal

National director
Stop Predatory Gambling
Lawrence

 

 

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2014/02/09/gambling-hurts-poor-mass-voters-must-repeal-casino-law/YN7snkJ06eWMGtuUDV1s2M/story.html