Gambling in Minnesota
Leah Mair
While many think that allowing casinos in Minnesota would lead to an increase in revenue, research shows that the social and economic impacts of legalized casinos would harm Minnesotans far more than it would help them.
Pros Include...
More jobs are created, especially for women and minorities
Some social scientists say that gambling actually makes people's lives better
Jobs are created
In Gulfport, Mississippi, 62% of the jobs created in that area since 1990 were made by casinos
In Bossier City, Louisiana, the number of food stamp recipients dropped by 15% in 1996.
Also in Louisiana, 56% of casino employees in three gaming facilities were African American or another racial minority.
Can improve people's quality of life
Dr. Felicia Campbell, a professor at the University of Nevada, says that gambling...
Offers hope
Helps people temporarily escape from problems and return refreshed.
Increases people's self-esteem when they win.
Cons Include...
Crime rates go up
States actually lose money
Increased Crime
Since casinos came to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, domestic violence in those areas has gone up 69%
Over half of all pathological gamblers will commit felonies to pay off their gambling debts.
Loss of Money
It's estimated that each pathological gambler costs taxpayers around $13,000 a year(judicial costs, criminal activity, etc.)
Pathological gamblers are responsible for about $1,300,000,000 worth of insurance fraud a year
Court Case
A court case important to this topic is California vs. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. This court case established that if gambling is a criminal offense in a state, no one, not even Indian reservations, can allow gambling.
In conclusion...
While casinos may have good short-term effects, research shows that, in the long run, casinos only harm people, whether they gamble or not.