Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Be sure to touch the magnificent cloth

By

Who can stand behind a government actively trying to convince citizens to spend large sums on virtually worthless gambling products, pushing them deeper into debt, instead of encouraging them to save money so they can accumulate the capital they need to live the American Dream?

Who can possibly explain how casino capitalism, the term used to describe our present economic crisis which is the practice of using “something for nothing” schemes based on financial gimmicks and predatory practices to create the lure of free money, will now restore our country to prosperity?

Non-substantive, “momentum is building” type policy discussions around predatory gambling have little place in a healthy democracy. We need to leave them to governments like this one.

Les Bernal  

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  1. I’m missing the “magnificent cloth” reference/metaphor.  Can you enlighten me?

    <

    p>I still say regulations could be put in place to offset the issues raised in the third paragraph of the WaPo article you linked, and that unless you’re already addicted you don’t HAVE to hit that button one more time.

    • They worked wonders on Wall Street, at OFHEO, and with the DOT-run (and FAA-cosponsored!) Cash-for-Clunkers program.  Let’s legalize kiddie porn, regulate it, and tax it!

      <

      p>Increasing government revenues, for progressives, is like crack cocaine.

      • When it’s enforced. You’ll note that Wall Street went haywire under a Republican administration.

        <

        p>I don’t think it’s enough to contain gambling, but it might be.

          • whether the 1 out of 10 are the high rollers who have
            endless amounts of disposable income to drop in the casinos?

            • Disposable is a word associated with the 1 out of 10 but not because of their “endless amounts of disposable income.”

              <

              p>As reported in The San Francisco Chronicle:

              <

              p>

              “The new casino industry is creating new poverty among a vulnerable customer population by increasing the number of cash-broke gambling addicts. The 2006 state Problem Gambling Prevalence Survey maintained that the typical problem gambler was an unemployed, middle-aged man. But the ethnicity was a rainbow: 37 percent of California’s problem gamblers were Latino, 11 percent were black, 10 percent were Asian, 3 percent “other” – and just 39 percent were white.

              Casino operators do extensive studies on their customer patterns, and keep the results close to their vests, but the fact that some of the busiest bus lines heading to casinos originate in San Francisco’s Chinatown speaks volumes. The attorney general’s 2006 gambling study reported that 36 percent of Chinese Americans in San Francisco were problem gamblers. That’s compared with 2 to 5 percent in the overall population.”

              <

              p>And another from a prominent University of Buffalo Study:

              <

              p>

              “A strong effect of neighborhood disadvantage on pathological gambling was found. Respondents in disadvantaged neighborhoods have much higher rates of pathological or problem gambling than those who do not live in disadvantaged neighborhoods.”

              <

              p>Les Bernal

              • the most money from are people who are unemployed, or poor.
                Sorry, it just doesn’t add up.  If you said they received the most money from 9 out 10 people, and those 9 were the poor and unemployed, it might make(a little) more sense.  

                <

                p>To exhaust a poor or unemployed person of their funds, would probably max out at about $300. So if they are getting $300. out of 1 out 10 people, it doesn’t add up to much.

                <

                p>I wish you would stop using this …

                <

                p>

                Who can support a business model based on 90% of the gambling profits coming from 10% of the people who use the product which means nine out ten people who visit a casino, the casual players, are virtually irrelevant to their revenues?

                <

                p>…because it is misleading.  You are trying to convey the message that the 1 out of 10 are the addicted poor people who are supporting the entire industry.  It just makes no sense. It makes more sense that the 1 out of 10 are the highrollers dropping big bucks at their visits.

                • Is citing from national research studies.  You are saying you don’t believe him.  Do you not believe the studies?  Can you not understand that addicted consumers are the people who support the tobacco, alcohol and gambling corporations?  The person who has a drink and a cigarette at a wedding is insignificant to the alcohol or tobacco industry.  The person who rolls a few dice and/or plays a slot machine on a business junket once every two years is an ancillary, totally tangential component of the corporate casino/slot industry.  The addicted gamblers who fund the corporate casino/slots complex are the mainline of the profits.  When an addict is lost through jail, suicide or extinction it is collateral damage whose burden is upon the family, community and taxpayer.

                  <

                  p>There is no difference between the corporate casino/slots industry and the tobacco industry business model marketing that create new addicts through younger users, increased users (proximity to product) and monopolies.  Poor sucker with lung cancer, shouldn’t have been so weak to use an addictive substance.  Poor sucker who bankrupted his/her family and stole from people to gamble…should’ve just had more willpower.

                  <

                  p>Would you have us go back to the dark ages when addiction was not a disease? Some of my conservative friends still believe it’s a matter of willpower (not).  Neuroscience proves the brain on slots functions the same as the brain on crack.  Let’s ignore that too and legalize the product so we can have the illusion of job creation and economic development, when the reality is the costs exceed the predatory revenues that are being proposed by elected “leadership”.  

                • Would you have us go back to the dark ages when addiction was not a disease?

                  <

                  p>Uh, no, but I wouldn’t want to go back to the days of alcohol prohibition either.

                  <

                  p>I would like to see the statistics that show that the 10% of people who provide 90% of the casinos profits are poor vulnerable people prone to addiction.  Can you point those stats out to me?

                • Here is one study that cites 80% of revenues

                  <

                  p>

                  About 5-15% (of the population) could be termed heavy bettors who gamble twice per week or more. The last 2-5% of the population consists of problem and pathological (P&P) gamblers, who suffer from compulsive gambling disorders, which are expressed when the opportunity to gamble is present and sufficient time has elapsed for the problem to become evident. This group might be in the casino daily, for long periods of time, and at unusual hours. Two-thirds to 80% of gambling revenues come from the 10% of the population that gambles most heavily.

                  <

                  p>You could also research the 1999 Congressional report that included Congressman McGovern, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton  (then Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton) that recommended a moratorium on expanded gambling.  Native peoples in America and Canada have the highest rates of gambling addiction of any socio-economic group.  It all adds up to bad public policy.  

                • but that’s OK. I’m really done listening to the anti-casino
                  arguments.  The statistics are pulled from here and there, spun around, estimated, and summarized to make your cause seem more urgent.  (an example Two-thirds to 80% of gambling revenues come from the 10% of the population that gambles most heavily
                  suddenly becomes
                  90% of the gambling profits coming from 10% of the people)
                  It’s hard to know what true and what isn’t, what is real concern and what is just a personal distaste for casinos.

                  <

                  p>When you start fighting for new textbooks for Massachusetts students, a truly worthy cause, you will have my ear and my support.

                • Geez, I did a quick search (in less than twenty minutes) last night to save you the trouble and came up with nationally acclaimed Prof. Grinols study that was a close research match for the question you asked, no gratitude.  Did you read the full abstract?  Maybe you want to do the research yourself.  The sources are readily available.

                  <

                  p>We are fighting for more resources for Massachusetts students by fighting the legalization of a product that sucks money from the economy.  I have waged battles for sustainable education funding for years.  I am thrilled that you care about that too.

                  <

                  p>I don’t really care about casinos or who chooses to gamble.  

                  <

                  p>What I do care about is legalizing a product and an industry that is all gussied up to look like something it isn’t, and what is isn’t is a solution to the state’s fiscal problems.

                  <

                  p>Yes, I don’t like the idea of more addicts being created.  I have never known anyone seriously addicted to something that enjoyed what they are doing.  Addiction is hell.  No one thinks they want to be a pathetic loser, gambling addict when they grow up.  It doesn’t just happen.  Opportunity, proximity, exposure all contribute to the misery called addiction.

                  <

                  p>Call me a bleeding heart liberal for not wanting to expand government to control an industry that reaps it’s profits from addicts.  Maybe, I should jump to RMG and see if I can find some supporters of cannibalistic, capitalistic corporate welfare to swing with.

                  <

                  p>Has it not occurred to reasonable folks that those of us who oppose slots would be fighting for slots if the product and the industry actually delivered revenues without human cost?

                • I don’t mean to be argumentative.  I understand all of your concerns. I am not without concerns myself, just not on the scale that you and others have.  In our South Central area here, whenever a large company wants to come in and utilize this area, there is a huge group of people who always come out to prevent it from happening.  They come up with all sorts of statistics as to how it will damage our area beyond repair, cause crime, traffic, increase local government costs, bring transient low income invaders from space, etc.

                  <

                  p>On a fairly recent new report, I watched a woman say to the reporter she was against the casino because she is “nostalgic”, and does not want to see the area change.
                  Well being “nostalgic” is great when you are happily retired, with no longer a need to look for work, you paid off your house years ago, and you eat chicken soup with a slice of bread for supper every night.

                  <

                  p>I, too, am against slot parlors for the sake of slot parlors.  There would not be a sliver of benefit from putting slot parlors on every corner.  A resort casino is a completely different product, and would have huge benefits in revitalizing our area.  There would be an events center for shows and gatherings. There would be restaurants, clubs,
                  retail stores and a hotel. It would draw people to the area to work here, and then small businesses (and larger business) would come in to support the increase in population.

                  <

                  p>I am not fighting for the right to gamble in Massachusetts. I am fighting to save our region.  I guarantee you that if a corporation wanted to come to Palmer to build a large movie theatre complex, with a Super Mall that had a mini amusement park inside with water slides, there would be a flood of anti-movie theatre/mall/amusement park people coming forth with all sorts of scary statistics about the dangers of it.

                  <

                  p>It has just become too predictable.

                • I’ve read posts you’ve written on other issues so I know your style is not intended to be argumentative.

                  <

                  p>The next time I’m out your way I’d love to buy you a coffee to talk about this issue with you. If you’re willing to spend a few minutes with me, my contact info is in my profile.

                  <

                  p>I thought you might appreciate this video featuring the president of the national trade lobby for the casino trade about how he would respond if a casino was planned for his hometown.

                  <

                  p>Les Bernal

  2. Just wondering…as it if you look closely, the whole idea of gambling as a panacea or glamorous is phony.

  3. crowd would has us believe there are no costs associated with plunking down slot parlors in the suburbs to fill Grandma’s time, while she feeds the slots her social security check.

    <

    p>That rush of brain chemicals sure silences the loneliness and fills the void!

    <

    p>Of concern to everyone should be the sucking sound of discretionary income being fed into machines as it flushes local jobs and businesses out of the economy.

    <

    p>PA just fined Mohegan Sun for allowing minors to gamble. An experienced operator who failed to take corrective security measures to prevent minors from being on the gambling floor at slot machines?

  4. that have been grossly overstated bordering on fiction, like Treasurer Tim Cahill’s office stating —

    <

    p>

    “The leasing of these operating rights could bring in between $2 billion and $3.3 billion in up-front payments, as well up to $244 million annually by collecting a 27 percent tax on revenue.”

    <

    p>my personal concern is that we’re not even talking about the costs and expenses.

    <

    p>Rep. Conroy projected revenues would be closer to $200 million. That’s more than a “stretch”! And the “billions”? Licensing fees are based on projected revenues. Senator Pacheco’s bill proposed $25 million for each of 2 racinos and 2 slot parlors. That $100 million, not ‘billions.’

    <

    p>Were Massachusetts to adopt the pending proposals, the regulatory model that most closely resembles Mass is New Jersey. The AG’s office has about 500 employees dedicated to monitoring 24/7.  

    <

    p>How much will 500 more state employees cost? Since the proposals are geographically distant, a car for each employee? Could we reasonably toss in $80 million?

    <

    p>And the Gaming Commission and staff and office space?

    <

    p>Enforcement, Investigation and Prosecution will cost how much?

    <

    p>An independent auditor is necessary. How much will that cost?

    <

    p>Professor Goodman estimated that criminal justice costs were $40K each, but that figure is outdated by his own admission.

    <

    p>If lottery losses are projected to be $80-$100 million, this seems to be a colossal money loser before the doors open or we even address necessary infrastructure improvements, regional impact costs or the high human toll of addiction.  

    <

    p>The Governor’s proposal provided $50 million for addiction. Since we can reasonably expect addiction to be 5%, what if that rate approaches Louisiana’s rate of 7%.

    <

    p>Would we allow a child’s toy on the market if it harmed 5% of children?

    <

    p>It continues to seem that we should appoint a Blue Ribbon Commission with no ties to the industry to examine the costs.  

  5. gambling enterprises around the country are filing bankruptcy or restructuring their debt.

    <

    p>4 Indian casinos have defaulted.

    <

    p>Foxwoods is restructuring their debt and postponing projects around the country – in Kansas, California and Philadelphia. Reports seem to indicate that their parking lots are empty most days.

    <

    p>Even Las Vegas has seen its share of cancelled construction projects, financial problems and a devastated state budget.

    <

    p>When you build a House of Cards, it collapses.

    <

    p>There are industries in this state we could support and encourage to expand that would provide real local jobs that allow small businesses to sprout and grow.

    <

    p>How do we turn around the thinking to create those jobs instead of the casino gambling crowd that produces nothing?

Archives