Gambling has affected many people’s lives
throughout the U.S. in many different and positive ways. Whether it’s providing jobs or winning the
lottery, the legalization of gambling has done more good than it has done
bad. Many small-scale cities have placed
casinos in their community and have received outstanding results. Therefore
these false propositions should have never been made in the first place. The
government does not forbid adults from spending ten dollars on a movie; so there
should be no consequence for an adult who would like to go out and spend ten
dollars at a casino or another gambling station. Legalizing gambling will benefit society by
providing recreation and entertainment while boosting the economy not only statewide
but nationally as well, also by allowing men and women to spend their money
freely without government intervention. Because I think today’s society is
better off with the legalization of gambling and casinos in all states.
I want to first start off by talking about a
specific city where gambling and casinos were introduced. Pictured at the left is a city in South
Dakota that has experienced exponential results concerning the revenue casinos are
bringing in to their town. Most constitutions today declare that gambling is illegal so there
must be changes to amend it. According
to Ackerman, “Voters had to approve [the legalization of gambling] by a majority
of at least sixty percent” (Ackerman). This statistic shows that the general
public had to come to a consensus about legalizing gambling. Soon after the
bill had passed, business and companies took great advantage of it by opening
many casinos throughout the area. In addition, Ackerman states, “In the first
eight months [that gambling had been legalized], a total of $145.1 million was
wagered in Deadwood” (Ackerman). Gamblers were occupied in the casinos since
they were installed eight years ago. Skeptics were proven wrong after people
have utilized the casinos spending their money on something they enjoy doing.
Although other cities have caved into the gambling industry, Deadwood’s gaming
industry still is going strong.
Deadwood, South Dakota is only one example of how the gambling and
casino business has benefitted a community and the general population of a city.
 |
| Gaming Revenues from Native American Gaming (Schaap) |
While you have a mental grasp on the success of
that particular city, I now want to throw some statistics your way. The figure at
the right shows the revenues of Native American gaming from 1997-1998. This
growth of revenue should interest many people into legalizing gambling. The
Indian gambling industry has been a huge benefactor in the success of casinos.
What is Indian gambling? Well the correct term for it is Native American
gaming. James Schaap explains, “It is
conducted by Native American governments as a way to carry out their natural
self-governing rights as independent nations” (Schaap). The Native American
gaming system has provided many chances for Native Americans to start a new
life. “[In 2005] tribal gaming grew more
than three times greater than did that of the non-Native American gaming casino
segment, with revenues topping $22.6 billion” (Schaap). This number shows the
significance of why we should legalize gambling and casinos today. With casinos
being built on these reservations, they help to create new opportunities for
people who may not have been presented with them before. Casinos have prompted
many of these tribal people to obtain jobs and begin making a steady income for
their lives. These casino openings are not only beneficial to the people
themselves but also the communities around them who receive funds from these
places.
Native American gaming institutions and casinos
have not been the only successful gaming industry today. Gambling is a hobby
that is taxed. This means that the local government will be greatly
beneficial to this. With the casino being a huge attraction, this will entice
many gambling enthusiasts and tourists to visit that city. Tourism will bring
extensive amounts of revenue. In Las Vegas, the number of people traveling to
‘Sin City’ has continued to grow rapidly. Since the early 90’s, the number of
tourists as almost doubled and still brings in increasingly more
revenue yearly. A chairman of MGM Grand, Inc. says that Las Vegas is the fastest
growing city in America with over 5,000 people a month moving there. Aside from the Las Vegas revenue
increase, “Revenues from legal gambling have grown 1,600% since 1976” (Claussen
and Miller). The industry is still growing and would be even more effective if
legalized everywhere.
Although the pros outweigh the cons of
legalizing gambling, people tend to place many ill implications upon the gaming
industry; negative crime rates being one of them. Crime rate ends up having no
impact whatsoever after a casino has been constructed. In fact, Guy Calvert points out, “Early
analysis of Atlantic City crime figures shortly after the arrival of casinos
suggested that crime rates increased. However, the crime rate statistics failed
to take in account that there was swelling of local population due to
casino-related tourism, so the estimates of crime were inflated” (Calvert).
People need to realize that gambling is not the only thing casinos bring, but
rather shows, sporting events, and many other non-gambling activities. A
typical city’s crime rate will fluctuate annually due to population growth;
therefore one cannot accurately show that the crime rate will be consistent. The myth that crime rates boost should be thrown out the door
because multiple studies and statistics have verified it to be false.
On another hand, a gambler knows his or her
limits when they enter a casino making themselves fully responsible for their
actions. Calvert says, “[The] median age of casino players is similar to that
of the U.S. population (about 48 years), they have more schooling- they are
more likely to have done some college and more likely to also have graduated
from college” (Calvert). A gambler with an
education will be more likely to know when to pull away and be able to realize
when it’s not their night. The fact that gambling does not renounce
responsibility proves that there is no definite evidence of losing control of
one’s actions while gambling so it should be legalized. A good way to put it in
perspective is this: “Alcoholism is best addressed on a voluntary basis rather
than through prohibition. Likewise, the best recourse for compulsive gamblers
would appear to be counseling and abstinence, not government intervention to
prohibit or otherwise limit gambling” (Calvert 4). The government does not
forbid adults from going to bars if there are alcoholics wanting to drink at
them. Therefore, the government should not penalize U.S. adults from going to
casinos because there a rare number of pathological gamblers. They need to make
it fair to all people instead of banning everyone from gambling.
Some people may use the pathological gambler
attack and say legalizing gambling will add to this ‘disease’. Well the case is
more complex than that. Problem gamblers put on fronts that cover up their
delicate and insecure personality. These kinds of people use gambling as
a ‘medication’ to treat their weak personalities. Liz Benston talks about a
program set up to help these kinds of people: “The ‘ambassador’ program-taking
its name from the casino managers charged with approaching gamblers with
information about programs many casinos have offered for years-has captured the
attention of problem gambling treatment experts normally skeptical of casino
efforts to help compulsive gamblers” (Benston).
Programs like these have helped many people turn away from compulsive
gambling. It is one of the main reasons the pathological gamblers statistic
continues to be so low. Even though
there is a small percentage chance that a gambler may become addicted to the
game, casinos and other organizations can turn a pathological gambler’s life
around.
Gambling hot spots, such as casinos and race
tracks, have provided many opportunities and profits to the communities around
them. One source states, “By a margin of three to one, community leaders
[mayors, councilmen, etc.] are more likely to say that casinos have done more
to help rather than hurt other businesses in the community” (Fahrenkopf). If a
leader in the community agrees that a casino will provide good to the
community, the outcome of the insertion of the casino must be beneficial to the
surroundings of the casino itself. An
elected leader in a community is trusted and knows what is best for the city or
county they represent. Talking about the general welfare of employees, the
author writes, “Research shows that casino employee’s lives are approved under
employment in casinos” (Fahrenkopf). The lives of men and women are greatly
impacted in a positive manner by the input of casinos in their communities. Multiple
studies have been conducted on the grounds of whether casinos are economically
beneficial. In three regions studied, it was proven that casinos pay above
state averages and employ many more minorities and women than other companies in
the US. Community members should begin to realize that casinos have more pros
than cons.
Legalized gambling will be
beneficial to communities because it is such an economy booster, while it also
provides men and women with the freedom they deserve. The introduction of a
casino to a community has been proven to boost the economy while providing jobs
and opportunities for people. The same goes for members of Native American
tribes when they open their own Indian Gaming casinos. Several of the false
insinuations of gambling have never been proven true, which shows that crime rates
have no correlation to a casino being placed in a town. Gambling serves as a
form of entertainment for adults, which is no different than spending money at
any other place that serves as the same purpose. Since this is true, the
government should have no right restricting adults from wanting to have fun
gambling at a casino. The fact that casinos provide jobs and revenue for this
country is only one of the numerous reasons the U.S. should consider legalizing
gambling.
Works Cited
Ackerman, William V.
“Casinos Have Proven Beneficial to Deadwood, South Dakota.” Legalized
Gambling. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. N. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints
in Context. Web. <http://ic.galegroup.com////ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010079210&mode=view&userGroupName=ascpl_menu&jsid=0b89f90e8483c2552f55091828e40311>.
Benston, Liz. “Casinos
Are Helping Curb Compulsive Gambling.” Gambling. Detroit: Greenhaven
Press, 2007. N. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web.
<http://ic.galegroup.com////ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010221246&mode=view&userGroupName=ascpl_menu&jsid=3b3fbb5dddf0be65985a47f711960a0c>.
Calvert, Guy. “The
Government Should Respect Individuals Freedom to Gamble.” Gambling.
Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. N. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Web. <http://ic.galegroup.com////ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010221221&mode=view&userGroupName=ascpl_menu&jsid=0459660ac521a4d9b64765aa402d9cb5>.
Claussen, Cathryn L.,
and Lori K. Miller. "The Gambling Industry And Sports Gambling: A Stake In
The Game?." Journal Of Sport Management 15.4 (2001): 350. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.
Fahrenkopf, Frank J.,
Jr. “Legalized Gambling Benefits Communities.” Gambling. Detroit:
Greenhaven Press, 2006. N. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Web. <http://ic.galegroup.com///age/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010221217&mode=view&userGroupName=ascpl_menu&jsid=d3857573fa92087abc35b79806cbaed4>.
Schaap, James I.
"The Growth Of The Native American Gaming Industry: What Has The Past
Provided, And What Does The Future Hold?." American Indian Quarterly 34.3
(2010): 365-389. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.
