Gambling In America:

Good, Clean, Fun

Ben Irish
Mrs. Donato A2 English
February 10, 2007
Gabling as Good, Clean, Fun!
"hroughout the #ourse o$ huan history, o%erly #on#erned #iti&ens ha%e $ro'ned
u(on any things. )oo* at Aeri#an history. In +anuary o$ 1,1,, the anu$a#turing,
sale, and trans(ortation o$ into-i#ating li.uors be#ae illegal under the 1/
th
Aendent
o$ the 0.1. Bill o$ 2ights. "his is one o$ Aeri#a3s largest $ollies in the area o$
#ontrolling its (eo(le3s rights. It led to the #reation o$ ore illegal bars or 4s(ea*easies,5
then there 'ere legal bars be$ore (rohibition. Clearly the Aeri#an (ubli# li*ed its
$reedo. 6rohibition 'as re(ealed in De#eber o$ 1,77 by the 21
st
Aendent o$ the
0.1. Bill o$ rights. "his is siilar to the ore odern rea#tion to gabling. Con#erned
#iti&ens are in an u(roar about this $or o$ entertainent. "hey belie%e that gabling is
ioral, that it ta*es oney $ro en 'ho need it to (ay $or $ood. Many o$ these #lais
are un'arranted. Gabling does not #ause any o$ these. Gabling does not destroy li%es,
in#rease #rie rates, or in#rease sui#ide rates. Gabling is bene$i#ial to #ounities, as
a $or o$ entertainent $or u((er #lass and lo'er #lass #iti&ens, 'hile (ro%iding the
#han#e to 'in big.
In Aeri#a, the (o(ula#e is al'ays loo*ing $or entertainent. Aeri#a has
be#oe a #ountry 'hose oney is no longer s(ent on ne#essities alone. 6eo(le 'ant
soething else. "hey see* entertainent. Gabling is one $or o$ entertainent.
A##ording to Mr. Fahren*o($, gabling is 8ust $un. 9e 'rites,
"he (o(ularity o$ gabling reains strong. :ne o$ t'o Aeri#ans (layed
the lottery and ore than a third gabled in a #asino in the (ast year;
"he sae sur%ey $ound that ore than ,< (er#ent o$ Aeri#ans %ie'
#asino gabling as a so#ial a#ti%ity, 'hile 7= (er#ent belie%e #asino
gabling #an be a $un night out >Fahren*o($?.
"his sho's Aeri#a3s belie$ that gabling is a $or o$ entertainent. "hey $ind (leasure
in it. 1te%e Cha(an also belie%es the (ubli# %ie's gabling is entertainent. 9e 'rites,
4E%eryone sees to detest legal gabling@e%eryone, that is, e-#e(t the (ubli#. :n#e
regarded as a lo' habit, gabling is no' generally treated as 'holesoe entertainent
in all states but t'o5 >Cha(an?. 9e 'rites that the (eo(le li*e to gable. It is an outlet
o$ their entertainent. "he (eo(le $ind gabling to be good, #lean, $un. It is harless
entertainent.
"he history o$ gabling in Aeri#a is a long and re(etiti%e story. Gabling in
Aeri#a has gone through 'a%es, $i%e, to be e-a#t. "he $irst 'a%e 'as in 1A07B1/<03s. It
'as essentially lotteries, 'hi#h 'ere an a##e(table $or o$ gabling then. "he (ro#eeds
'ere usually gi%en to a #ause. 4A $e' o$ these lotteries 'ere s(onsored by states to hel(
$inan#e their aries, but ost lotteries 'ere o(erated by nonB(ro$it a*ing institutions
su#h as #olleges, lo#al s#hool systes and hos(itals in order to $inan#e building (ro8e#ts
or needed #a(ital i(ro%eents5 >M#Go'an?. "he se#ond 'a%e 'as also lotteries, but
national lotteries, but in the Con$edera#y. "he third 'a%e, 'hi#h ha((ened during
(rohibition and on into the CA0s, 'as the legali&ation o$ betting on horse ra#es. "his pari-
mutuel gabling 'as a %ery honest industry. It 'as u(held by the (ageantry o$ the ra#es.
4Another $a#tor that #ontributed to the Dlegitia#yD o$ ra#ing 'as that DhonestyD 'as
assured, sin#e soe o$ Aeri#aDs 'ealthiest $ailies su#h as the Eanderbilts, the
Fhitneys, and the 2o#*e$ellers #ontrolled the ra#ing industry5 >M#Go'an?. "he $ourth
'a%e 'as another 'a%e o$ lotteries, this tie state lotteries. "he $inal 'a%e 'as the 'a%e
o$ #asino gabling.
In 1,,7, $or the $irst tie in 01 gaing history, re%enues $or #asino
gaing 'ere greater than those generated by lotteries. "his o##urren#e
heralded a rear*able turning (oint $or the gabling industry. Casino
gabling 'as no' the (re$erred $or o$ gaing in the 01. It also ar*s a
turning (oint on Aeri#an a##e(tan#e o$ gabling as a legal sour#e o$
entertainent >M#Go'an?.
All this sho's that gabling has been a##e(ted throughout Aeri#an history. It is
(art o$ our #ulture, and has been used $or entertainent $or #enturies.
"his leads into the $a#t that #o(ulsi%e gabling is o$ten o%er e-aggerated.
6eo(le o$ten thin* o$ gabling in a negati%e light. "hey tend to thin* o$ gabling as a
hole that su#*s in its %i#tis and a*es the s(end all there oney. But in reality,
gabling is ost o$ten %ery res(onsible. A##ording to Mr. Cha(an,
"he #riti#s 'arn o$ an e-(loding e(idei# o$ addi#ted gablers, but a re#ent
study by resear#hers at 9ar%ard Medi#al 1#hoolDs Di%ision on Addi#tions argues
against this notion. An estiated 1.A (er#ent o$ Aeri#an adults 'ill be#oe
G#o(ulsi%eH gablers, #o(ared 'ith A.2 (er#ent 'ho 'ill su##ub to drug
addi#tion and 17./ (er#ent 'ho 'ill be#oe al#oholi#s >Cha(an?.
"his stat is astounding, that only 1.AI o$ Aeri#an adults 'ill be#oe #o(ulsi%e gablers. It is
12.2I less li*ely to be#oe addi#ted to gabling then to al#ohol, 'hi#h is u#h ore har$ul to
both the addi#ted and the $riends and $aily. As this nuber ay still be too large $or soe
(eo(le, the #asinos are 'or*ing on lo'ering the nuber o$ #o(ulsi%e gablers. A##ording
to the Aeri#an Gaing Asso#iation, 4"he industry s(onsors Ga gabling a'areness
'ee*H be#ause it re#ogni&es the i(ortan#e o$ establishing and (rooting res(onsible
gaing (ra#ti#es and edu#ating its e(loyees and the general (ubli# about disordered
gabling (American.) The gambling industry is aware of compulsive gambling and
is trying to head it off before it becomes a real problem. They understand this,
unlike the tobacco industry. Says ahrenkopf, !And 'e agree. Fhen the Aeri#an
Gaing Asso#iation 'as $ounded in 1,,=, it 'as 'ith the #oitent that this industry
'ould not re(eat the ista*es ade by the toba##o industry, by denying the e-isten#e o$
a (roble5 >Fahren*o($?. The gaming industry has the sense to acknowledge the fact
that some people do have a problem. They understand this and are trying to fi" this.
Jot only is gabling not all that har$ul, it is bene$i#ial to #ounities that host
#asinos and gabling (rogras. They have seen many improvements to their towns
and cities. #ften times the proceeds of gambling go to state programs that are used
to improve conditions. According to $ertha %avis, this type of thing happens in &ew
'ork (ity. !&ew 'ork State has authori)ed &ew 'ork (ity to market a *+ instant
lottery game whose proceeds will be used for a ,Safe Streets-Safe (ity. program that
is part of the city.s crime-reduction effort (%avis /0/). This shows how the city
receives the benefits of gambling. The same occurs in 1ermont, states e"ecutive
director of the 1ermont 2ottery Alan 'andow,
As u#h $un as our gaes are, and as u#h $un as 'e ha%e bringing the
to you, 'e3re 8ust as serious about the good 'e do $or Eeront. E%ery
year sin#e 1,,/, all Eeront )ottery (ro$its go e-#lusi%ely to su((ort the
Eeront Edu#ation Fund. )ast year alone, that eant alost K27 illion
dollars $or the state3s Edu#ation Fund >Lando'?.
Gabling bene$its the (eo(le. It o##urs all o%er (la#es 'here gabling is legal. "o'ns
and states 'ith #asinos re#ei%e oney and business $ro the gablers.
)egali&ed gabling also bene$its the e#onoy. It (ro%ides a boost in the nuber
o$ (eo(le a to'n 'ill re#ei%e into its businesses and also the aount o$ oney the to'n
'ill re#ei%e $ro the #asinos. For e-a(le ta*e Dead Food, 1D. A##ording to Mr.
A#*eran, 4Ea#h $is#al year $ro 1,,0 through 1,,= has seen Dead'oodDs gaing
a#ti%ity in#rease and generate in#reasing re%enues $or the #ity, #ounty, and 1tate. In total,
gaing generated ta-es and $ees o$ K<7.< illion during its $irst A years. Dead'ood has
re#ei%ed o%er hal$ o$ these re%enues $or histori# (reser%ation a#ti%ities5 >A#*eran?. 9e
'rites about ho' Dead'ood has re#ei%ed illions in re%enues $ro gabling that they
ha%e (ut ba#* into their to'n. It has enri#hed their e#onoy and (ro%ided the to'n a 'ay
to *ee( $ro $alling into disre(air. Another e-a(le o$ gabling being bene$i#ial to the
e#onoy is Atlanti# City. Fhile it started o$$ rough, it has be#oe a great sour#e o$
in#oe $or their e#onoy. 4"he #asinos are no' a*ing good on their obligation to
in%est 1.2=I o$ their gross re%enues in (ro8e#ts that bene$it the #ity. In De#eber 1,,0,
#onstru#tion on a ne' K2/ illion (ro8e#t #onsisting o$ 170 ne' hoes 'as alost
#o(leted5 >Da%is 101?. "he #asinos gi%e ba#* to the #ounity. "hey ta*e the (eo(les
oney, but u#h o$ it gets (aid ba#* through these (ro8e#ts and in ta-es to the #ity and
state. "his leads to the #ity and surroundings o$ these #ities to be built u( around the
#asinos.
Indian #asinos are %ery bene$i#ial to the tribes they are o'ned and o(erated by.
"his is be#ause it has a large aount o$ in#oe. It also (ro%ides 8obs to the une(loyed
tribes (eo(le. It (ulls the tribe out o$ (o%erty. Co(ared to other non gaing tribes,
4Indeed, $or u#h o$ Indian Country, the alternati%e to gaing is the status .uo ante!
(o%erty, (o'erlessness, and des(air. 1el$Bdeterination@and the 'ays that Indian
nations ha%e used it@#onstitutes a (ubli# (oli#y su##ess o$ a8or diensions. Indian
gaing is a stri*ing e-a(le o$ that su##ess5 >E#onoi#s?. "his 8ust sho's ho' any
tribes li%e a li$e under the edian in#oe. "his #hanged $or the gaing tribes. "hey used
their sel$Bdeterination to (ull a'ay $ro (o%erty and stri*e a better li$e. "his holds true
$or the 1einole tribe o$ Florida. "hey re#ently bought the entire 9ard 2o#* Ca$M #hain.
4"he 1einole "ribe o$ Florida said "hursday it 'as buying the $aed 9ard 2o#*
business, in#luding its #asinos, restaurants, hotels and huge #olle#tion o$ ro#* DnD roll
eorabilia, in a groundbrea*ing K,A= illion deal 'ith a British #o(any5 >1ain&?.
"his 8ust sho's that gabling has (aid o$$ $or the tribes, that instead o$ li%ing the
i(o%erished li$e that other tribes $a#e, they ha%e gone on to o'n a large hotel and #asino
#hain. "he 1einole tribe also a*es sure that it gi%es (ro$it to all the tribe ebers.
4"he 1einoles tribe has about 7,700 ebers li%ing on and o$$ Florida reser%ations and
all o$ the re#ei%e (ayents due to the su##ess o$ #asinos. "hey are (a#esetters in the
gro'ing 'orld o$ Indian gaing5 >1ain&?. It sees that the 1einole tribe sho's the
s(irit o$ the Indian gaing industry. "hey ha%e used their gaing rights to (ros(er and
buy one o$ the largest hotelNrestaurantNgaing #hains.
Gabling throughout history has been a $or o$ entertainent that (ro%ides
(eo(le 'ith an es#a(e $ro their li%es 'hile (ro%iding the #han#e to 'in big. It is
bene$i#ial to so#iety. It does not lead to in#reased #rie rates, but hel(s (eo(le and to'ns
to be#oe ore (ros(erous. Gabling is (art o$ history. Gabling is not a sin, it isn3t
unoral. It is entertainent, (ure and si(le. It is $un. It ta*es res(onsibility. And it
tea#hes res(onsibility. Gabling is and al'ays 'ill be a (art o$ Aeri#an #ulture.