Gambling's Dirty Little Secrets

What's-his-name labeled opponents of Predatory Gambling "moralists" in his failed attempt to disguise the flawed facts being used to promote expanded gambling as a panacea to solve the failed fiscal policies of Beacon Hill.

At all costs, one of the "Slots Rules" is to silence the opposition, just as Senator "But For" Pacheco attempted to prevent the Regional Task Force from holding its meeting in Carver. Clearly, an ethical lapse on the Senator's part for which he should re-think his blind support, "But For" who elected him.

None other than James C. Dobson, Ph.D. wrote in April 1999, after participating on the National Gambling Impact Study Commission --

I described in my previous letter how gambling destroys marriages, undermines the work ethic, increases crime, motivates suicide, destroys the financial security of families and is related to any number of other social issues. But there is another concern that should pose major worry for mothers and fathers. It is the alarming penetration of gambling into the world of children and teenagers.

Although these figures are outdated, the foundation remains valid --

Last March our commission traveled to Boston to examine the impact of lotteries. It was the perfect laboratory to study their phenomenal growth. Massachusetts sells more than $500 worth of lottery tickets each year for every man, woman and child in the state! The lottery accounts for 13 percent of the state's entire budget.

Of course, it didn't start out that way. The Massachusetts lottery began in 1972 with a 50-cent ticket and a weekly drawing. Then came instant scratch tickets. A few years ago the lottery added keno. Now residents have their choice of 33 different instant games along with 1,600 keno locations and daily lottery drawings. Sales soared from $71 million in the first year to more than $3 billion today.

Middleboro's opposition was decidedly different from expanded predatory gambling in the rest of the Commonwealth because the Mega Casino proposal (to be constructed by the owners of the failing Rhode Island Twin Rivers) was to become a Sovereign Nation by placing Land Into Trust.

This is what Dobson offered --

Indian casinos have a couple of key advantages over commercial operations. Because tribes are sovereign nations, they pay no federal or state taxes. When a tribe gets into the gambling business, neighboring communities are usually left to foot the bill for the increased crime, traffic and other headaches that accompany casinos. Indian casinos in general also face much less stringent regulation.

Although Dobson was painting an overall picture, much the same can be said of commercial casinos whose impacts exceed their contributions.
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The corruption witnessed on a national level with Abramoff and Glenn Marshall defines the pervasive problem with the industry.
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Oh, sure!

Massachusetts, home of corrupt politicians, will be different!