While the United States continues to ignore its public health problem of gambling addiction, the first national study of the gambling habits of Australia’s youth has found a tenth of kids aged 10-14 fit definitions of ‘‘at-risk’’ or ‘‘problem’’ gamblers. And a third have adults willing to place bets on their behalf. Almost a third of kids aged 10-14 said they had played electronic gambling machines in the previous year, more than half had purchased scratch tickets.
This article provides a window into how casinos like Caesars squeeze the maximum revenue out of customers. The software described here has increased Caesars revenue by $50 million per month (even while room occupancy rate actually declines.) The article concludes: “Filthy, you say? Maybe so. But Rainmaker has more than two dozen customers in the casino business so it’s not out of the question that the company has helped customers to the tune of billions of dollars.”
A look at “The Profit Optimization suite” software used by casinos to squeeze the maximum profits
Despite claims from casino operators that people go to casinos to have fun and for entertainment, this study proves winning money is the most important reason why people say they visit a casino. Three in four casino patrons say they go primarily to win “a really large amount of money,” according to a Roper survey referenced in the article below, yet it is a mathematical certainty that players will ultimately lose to the casino.
Due to sovereign immunity, the legal doctrine that restricts state interference in tribal affairs, many partnerships between Native American Tribes and federal regulators are being put under the microscope. These partnerships are drawing a lot of scrutiny given their allowance of predatory lending and finding loopholes in federal laws.
One of the first states to approve slot machine gambling at horse tracks, New Mexico now has been tagged with the worst safety record in racing. Nationwide, the newspaper found the industry “still mired in a culture of drugs and lax regulation and a fatal breakdown rate that remains far worse than in most of the world.” In addition, slots are now the tail that wag the horse, accounting for most of the revenue at tracks and turning racing into a side business, and perhaps the biggest reason for safety plummeting.
After a carjacking in the Taj Majal casino parking garage, the Atlantic City mayor demands an increase in private security. Security issues have been a major problem in Atlantic City over the years due to the increase in the gambling presence.
The Illinois Lottery announced a new marketing campaign ad that focuses around “optimism.” The $3.5 million campaign sloganing ‘Anything is possible’ will run across major networks, billboards, and newspapers alike throughout the state, luring citizens to blow their savings on lottery games literally mathematically rigged for them to lose.
Despite billions of dollars that have been spent and lost in Atlantic City, crime and poverty are sinking the city down further. The tragic situation underscores the truth that commercialized gambling merely redistributes wealth from ordinary Americans to the powerful.
Failed revitalization in Atlantic City, and the continued culture of crime
There is no grassroots movement anywhere in America calling for regional casinos. The push is completely driven by very powerful corporate gambling interests that are dominating state legislatures across the U.S. This New York Times story highlights just one example of how this highly corrupt process works to force casinos into communities. It focus on the lobbying practices of Genting in New York State, a massive corporate gambling power based overseas.
The development of The Aqueduct racino in South Ozone Park had citizens concerned of a spike in crime level due to its presence. Because of this underlying fear, cops have been centralized around the racino and as a result, surrounding areas have suffered due to a lack of protection.
