The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Addicted to gambling revenue It is well documented that many Canadians and Americans are addicted to gambling, most particularly since the great increase in casinos and legalized games of chance in the past decade. An American friend John, a retired teacher who lives in New Jersey, admits to spending 4-5 days per week in the Atlantic City casino, plus winter trips to Las Vegas, and day trips on gambling boats. Of course he never loses. There are many like him, and millions who indulge themselves buying lottery tickets and playing VLTs. Similarly, governments of all types and stripes are today addicted to the revenue obtained from the legalized games, and are developing or licensing more and more casinos and lotteries. One American report noted that 19 years ago only Las Vegas and Atlantic City had casinos in the U.S. while today they are in 27 states, and 75% of the nation's population lives within 300 miles of one. The report also stated that last year, more Americans visited a casino than attended a major league ball game. The Manitoba government is certainly addicted to gambling revenue. Opening casinos and legalizing VLTs and lotteries took place under the Filmon government, although Filmon boasted of never putting a quarter in a VLT, and has expanded under the Doer administration. Since 1999, the NDP has increased the number of casinos and VLTs, increased the hours VLTs can operate, including opening on Sundays (like Saskatchewan) and increased the amount spent on advertising gambling. As well, they have announced plans to purchase new and upgraded VLTs at considerable cost. A new Native casino, Casino Grand Beach, has been licensed and will open soon. There are a number of problems in the "industry". The $265 million in revenue per year has been eroded by the Winnipeg anti-smoking law, which includes casinos. Expected dollars are down by an estimated $26 million. City hotel owners have seen their revenue drop (one owner said 15 per cent), forcing staff layoffs, an ominous sign for rural hotel owners for whom VLTs were allowed in the first place. It is no secret that rural hotels, bars and restaurants have for some time depended on gambling revenue to make their operations profitable. One Interlake hotel owner told "the Corner" that his yearly revenue from his 12 machines was $106,000 and increasing. In its anti-smoking legislation, beginning October 1, the government has exempted Native casinos from the ban as Gary Doer claims a lack of jurisdiction on reserves, which are under the federal government. Tory leader Stuart Murray says not so, as the government could demand smoke-free casinos by withholding gaming licenses. He also blasted the NDP for not protecting Native casino workers from secondhand smoke, citing statistics that 38 per cent of Manitoba Natives smoke compared to 22 per cent of other Manitobans. Murray claims it is all about the "Premier's addiction to gambling revenue". How about an addiction example from the U.S.? A recent story out of Missouri shows the happy-sad features of gambling revenue. Ten years ago, councilors in a poor town of 3,000 Ñ a town without even a sewer system Ñ were requested to accept a riverboat casino with a promise of considerable revenue. Only the popular mayor was opposed but she was soon convinced to support a referendum, which easily passed. Since then the town has received $50 million in revenue and has paved streets, installed a sewer system, and built a new City Hall and recreation building, plus has begun to construct a floodway and an industrial park on flood prone land. In short, on the surface it has become a prosperous town. This has come with a personal cost for the mayor. Her widowed sister developed a gambling addiction and lost her house, plus other family members and friends have similar problems. One of her sons says gambling is not worth the human costs as most gamblers in the town can't afford the habit. An interesting state attempt to help those addicted is a Missouri regulation limiting individual gambler's losses to $500 every two hours. Some would say quite a weak attempt! By the way, a $105 million casino expansion in December in this town has resulted in a 61 per cent increase in gambling revenue to date. In Manitoba, PC leader Stuart Murray recently blasted the Doer government for its reliance on gambling revenue rather than reducing taxes to stimulate economic growth, and developing a long term economic strategy. He claimed that Doer is addicted to gambling revenue as "he has a spending addiction." Murray points out that Manitoba has one of the highest incidences of gambling addictions in Canada, with 12 suicides related to gambling since 1999. Do Manitobans or Canadians or Americans care as long as they are not personally affected? American estimates are that 90 per cent of gambling revenue is gleaned in casinos from 10 per cent of patrons. Many people probably agree with former Italian Premier Fafani whose comment "lotteries are a tax on idiots" is a classic, and for sure the vast majority of citizens follow Will Rogers' advice: "The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket."
