The Case Against Legalized Gambling Essay - 1319 Words

The gambling industry is a big money maker in America. Gambling institutions exist in many states. These institutions consist of riverboat casinos, Indian reservation casinos, and regular gaming casinos that all accumulate millions of dollars to the state through taxes. This tax money is then used throughout the state for many programs that may include education, health, and road maintenance. The American Gaming Association (AGA) even claims that gambling institutions lower the taxes in many areas because of the large tax money they give the government (CQ 784). But does the gambling industry only help and build the economy and attract money from the public? Perhaps the gambling industry increases more than just government funds. Is it†¦show more content†¦The issues of crime and compulsive gambling go hand in hand. It is not just an issue that could exist, but indeed it does exist. In Maryland alone in 1990, there were at least 50,000 compulsive gamblers (CQ 782). Doctor Va lerie C. Lorenz, Executive Director of the Compulsive Gambling Center, has done several studies on compulsive gambling, and has given several statistics which show how compulsive gambling is closely related to crime. Her studies show that 99 percent of compulsive gamblers commit crimes, 25 percent end up in the legal system for bad checks, forgery, fraud, embezzlement from job, theft, bank robbery, selling drugs, street crime, and prostitution etc..., and 100 percent of compulsive gamblers become physically abusive, especially towards children (Kindt). These facts clearly show that compulsive gamblers suffer legal and financial problems which drive them to commit crimes. The American Gaming Industry disagrees with the idea that there are a significant number of compulsive gamblers. They believe that the vast majority of Americans are social gamblers who can participate in gambling activities without harmful effects (CQ 784). This statement may be true. Doctor Lorenz did indeed state that only 1-1/2 to 3 percent of the population in a state with two or more forms of legalized gambling will become compulsive gamblers, but as was already stated above there are 50,000 compulsive gamblers in Maryland (http). That high number ofShow MoreRelatedGambling in The Bahamas: Should it Be Legalized? 1821 Words   |  7 PagesBahamians about their views on gambling. The referendum asked Bahamians if they supported the regularization and taxation of web shop gaming. As noted in the results, the mass of the Bahamian people voted no against the ref erendum. Today, the gambling issue has reawakened and Bahamians are now in a fight against the laws of their country. Several Bahamians believe that the law discriminates against Bahamians because it prohibits Bahamians from owning and legally gambling in casinos within in their homelandRead MoreEssay on Harmful Effects of Legalized Gambling1644 Words   |  7 PagesHarmful Effects of Legalized Gambling Gambling is prominent in todays society. This can be seen especially through politics. Everywhere voters are electing people to office who are pro gambling. William Thompson of the University of Nevada (1994) describes politicians by stating, Its part of the American landscape, theyll trade morality for dollars (1). 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Case studies show that legal casino gaming can increaseRead More Legalized Gambling Would Decrease The Crime Rate Essay1765 Words   |  8 Pageswith decreasing crime rate is would legalized gambling decrease the crime rate? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s slow economic growth, cuts in federal funding, and growing public needs forced state and local governments to seek additional sources of revenue. Most states turned to lotteries, horse and dog racing, and most recently a growing number of states have resorted to casino gambling as a painless way to raise money. Case studies show that legal casino gamingRead MoreGambling Is An Extremely Well Liked And Entertaining Activity For The Canadian Population1530 Words   |  7 PagesGambling is an extremely well liked and entertaining activity for the Canadian population. In theory, gambling can be a sense of fun and games, yet it has always been inevitably linked to the Canadian Criminal Code. It has been noticed that, â€Å"Canadians spend more on legal, government-promoted gambling than on clothing, shoes and medicine combined† (Hutchison, 1999). In 1892 all forms of gambling were banned in Canada, with the exception of horse racing (Stevens, R., 2005). Throughout the years CanadiansRead MoreThe Case Of The Fbi Essay882 Words   |  4 Pagesfamilies to raid the Indian gambling industry,† wrote Moody. â€Å"As legalized gaming spreads throughout the United States, we are seeing that those states with strong regulations and enforcement are not experiencing an influx of organized crime activity.† Obviously, a cash-heavy, multi-billion dollar industry that is exempt from corporate federal taxes, such as the Indian casino industry, certainly has great potential for corruption. However, there aren’t many documented cases of actual mafia involvementRead MoreIs Lottery a Good Idea1189 Words   |  5 PagesIs a Gambling a Good Idea? Definition of Gambling Merriam-Webster’s Learners Dictionary defined gambling as â€Å"playing a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions† (Merriam). Origin of gambling in the United States The first lottery was held in the America by the Virginia Company with the permission of the Crown to raise money to finance the establishment of the Colony in 1612. The lotteries were relatively sophisticated and included instant winners. All the original 13 raised revenue