The Oregonian reports that the state of Oregon is “cutting programs that serve poor families, threatening to close highway rest stops and laying off teachers.” But this has not stopped the Oregon Lottery from spending $8.9 million on messaging during the 2011 fiscal year in its effort to encourage more Oregonians to gamble.
Whatever Oregon’s Trying to Communicate, It’s Costing You Millions
In its recent report, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families concludes that a lottery hurts the economic security and well-being of the state’s’ families – regardless of how much money it raised. The report lays out the following reasons: 1) Lotteries function as regressive taxes that disproportionately hurt the economic security of low-income families; 2) Lotteries are unstable sources of tax revenue that can decline from year to year. Overall, any positive effect on state budgets tend to fade over time; 3) Lotteries and other forms of gambling often lead to negative social and economic consequences for children and their Lotteries function as regressive taxes that disproportionately hurt the economic security of low-income families costs which must often be borne by the state; 4) Researchers have found that Georgia’s “Hope Scholarship” lottery, often cited as a model for lotteries in other states, is disproportionately funded by low-income households, while higher-income, more-educated households disproportionately benefit from the scholarships; 5) A lottery would do little to improve access to higher education among the lowest-income citizens and would prey upon those who stand to lose the most from state- sponsored gambling; and 6) If increasing access to higher education is indeed important to Arkansas’s future economic success, then the state should commit to finding a stable, reliable and fair source of funding for it.
This report revealed that household lottery spending is financed primarily by a reduction in non-gambling expenditures, not by a reduction in expenditures on other forms of gambling. The introduction of a state lottery is associated with an average decline of $46 per month, or 2.4 percent, in household nongambling expenditures. Low-income households reduce non-gambling household expenditures by 2.5 percent on average, 3.1 percent when the state lottery includes instant games. This report was complied by Melissa Schettini Kearney at the Wellesley College and National Bureau of Economic Research.
An article in the Valley Journal explains why the gambling revenues expected with the introduction of Class II are not evenly distributed over all tribal casinos and the benefits expected are often not realized.
2015 Class II gambling hurts low-income tribal members
Attached is a first-hand account from Debbie Blank and Pat Loonjer, both of Nebraska and both members of Stop Predatory Gambling, regarding what it’s like to play an instant racing machine- a growing trend at race tracks across the country. Gambling interests paint these machines as no different than betting on a live horse race, but reading this account shows how far that is from reality.
A prominent women’s advocacy group, Women’s Health East, affirmed a link between commercialized gambling and family violence.
2015 Concerning link between online gambling advertisements and family violence, experts warn
If anyone doubts how much the government program of predatory gambling depends on victims, this study will provide convincing proof. Nova Scotia provides one of many opportunities to determine how much money comes from problem gamblers. Study results vary widely with location and “mix” of available gambling. This study from the Nova Scotia Department of Health is one of the best on the topic. 5.7% of adults in Nova Scotia are involved in regular continuous play of video lottery gambling. These adults account for approximately 25% of all those who play video lottery terminals (VLTs) each year in the province and contribute approximately 96% of the annual provincial net revenue for video lottery gambling. Problem gamblers are likely to comprise half of the gamblers seated at VLTs at any given time.
This extensive and important report by the UK’s Rebecca Cassidy details the ways in which gambling research is presently conducted and funded. It also identifies a need for more unbiased reporting. It examines the state of gambling research and how it can be tainted by the influence of money and/or lawmakers who are supported by the gambling industry.
Researchers now believe that the very data casinos use to track customers betting habits can be used as a tool to reduce the problem of gambling addiction. Addiction scientists can use customer tracking information to create computerized models to spot and warn people with high risk profiles. But the reality is, it is merely window dressing, with casinos having little incentive to intervene with their most lucrative customers.
2013 Researchers Bet Casino Data Can Identify Gambling Addicts
A key study found academic research into gambling heavily biased, controlled by industry and government. Gambling researchers maintain funding by producing research that is safe, uncritical and reliably delivered. What is lacking is the asking of the uncomfortable questions and hearing even more uncomfortable answers, something the government nor gambling industry are inclined to do.
2014 He who pays the piper calls the tune- gambling with research
