Category Archives: Gambling

For the past few years, New Jersey casinos have been losing money like most of their customers - consistently. But in the past six months, the popularity of casino-sponsored online betting has reversed the fortunes of Atlantic City's gambling palaces, cheering both casino owners and state revenue officials.

New Jersey is one of only three states - Nevada and Delaware are the others - where in-state bettors can log on to websites run by casinos and gamble from the comfort of their couches, rather than going into a glitzy and noisy casino.

Gambling experts say casinos that sponsor their own online wagering are making a smart play for millennials, many of whom prefer online gambling. At least eight states (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia) are considering legalizing casino-run online wagering this year.

State-sanctioned, casino-sponsored online gambling is different from online gambling that originates offshore, which states cannot tax. It is also distinct from state-regulated "daily fantasy sports" sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, which generate taxes and fees for some states.

Chris Grove, a gambling industry consultant who runs the website PlayNJ.com, said online gambling is a key to the growth of casino revenue.

"We've seen nearly every other form of commerce migrate to the internet - how we shop, how we bank, how we listen to music," he said. "It doesn't make sense that gambling would be an exception to that rule, and the early results in New Jersey really drive that point home."

According to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, total casino gambling revenue was $763.5 million through April of this year, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to the same period last year. The casinos' winnings from online gambling, however, were $80.1 million, up 29.5 percent from the same period last year.

New Jersey legalized casino-sponsored online gambling in late 2013, but it took casinos some time to create the software to take advantage of the new law, as well as for gamblers to adapt. At first, some casinos only offered a game or two online. According to New Jersey officials, online gambling increased in late 2016 and early 2017, as evidenced by a spike in revenue. The state collected $3.1 million in taxes on online gambling in April, up 23 percent from $2.5 million in April 2016.

From 2007 to 2015, New Jersey casino revenue declined by an average of 7.6 percent annually. This year, thanks in part to the increasing popularity of online gambling, casino revenue is on track for a year-to-year increase for the first time since 2006.

Kerry Langan, spokeswoman for the New Jersey department, said internet gambling raises as much revenue by itself as a small free-standing casino would.

"Most of the projections I've seen from gaming analysts are that it's doing well and will continue to do well," she said.

In Nevada and Delaware the impact has been smaller. In Delaware, only three casinos sponsor online gambling, and it has generated revenue of about $200,000 a month. Total casino revenue in Delaware is about $50 million per month.

In Nevada only two casinos offer internet poker, the only online casino game the state allows. Mike Lawton, senior research analyst at the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said online poker revenue is wrapped into the control board's report on poker overall, so it's difficult to determine whether online poker has been a huge hit. But online sports betting, also offered by casinos, "has really taken off," increasing 5 percent in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same period last year.

"A lot of the reason for the sports book business taking off is people being able to do it on their phone. It's a huge convenience," he said, noting, "We do everything else on our phones."

Every state that has legal gambling collects taxes or fees from it. There can be a tax on casinos' revenue, hefty fees to procure a casino operating license, a tax on gamblers' winnings, an "entertainment tax" on casinos or players, a tax on lottery locations, a tax on poker machines at bars or some combination of the levies. In general, casinos must pay gambling taxes in addition to corporate taxes.

Despite the online gambling spike in New Jersey and elsewhere, overall gambling tax revenue in the states is flat on average, according to Lucy Dadayan, senior research scientist at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

In 17 states she studied, tax revenue from gambling declined by 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared to the same quarter of 2015. However, there was some growth in tax revenue in the first quarter of 2017, at 0.6 percent. A big part of the increase was the opening of a new casino in Maryland, she said.

"The overall total tax revenues for casinos should be interpreted with caution and should not be viewed as a positive sign," she said.

She noted that online casino gambling is not easy to implement and "comes with a lot of regulation."

Because New Jersey requires people who play online casino games to be in the state, it has developed tracking software to determine a bettor's location. That means a gambler who lives in Pennsylvania must travel to New Jersey to play an online casino game.

"New Jersey online (gambling) has definitely come on very strong," said David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV. "People enjoy playing online rather than in casinos."

But Jackson Brainerd, who studies state gambling for the National Conference of State Legislatures, said while income from casino-sponsored online gambling has been robust, it has not lived up to predictions. In New Jersey, for example, it was expected to generate $1.2 billion in the first year, resulting in $180 million for the state.

In Pennsylvania, the state's continuing budget woes have given a push to casino-sponsored online gambling. The state Senate in May passed a measure that would legalize it in January 2018. Sponsors believe the outlook in the House is better this year than last, when a similar bill failed to pass.

Under the measure, Pennsylvania casinos that want to sponsor online gambling would have to pay a one-time $10 million fee to the state. Vendors supplying the gambling platform would pay the state $5 million, and revenue would be taxed at 25 percent, 15 percent of which would go to reduce property taxes, a longtime sore point among Pennsylvania taxpayers.

"We hope we can generate $100-$125 million more," said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, the Democrat who sponsored the legislation.

He said some casinos are worried that they will lose in-house gamblers to the online version, rather than expanding their customer base. But the prospect of a new state revenue source has persuaded some legislators that it's time to implement online casino games.

In New York, Senate panels have passed a bill that would legalize and regulate online poker games, though the proposal is still awaiting a vote by the full Senate. A similar bill passed the Senate last year, but died in the House without being considered. A 10-year license fee would cost $10 million, and the state would levy a 15 percent tax on revenue.

State Sen. John Bonacic, a Republican sponsor of the bill, sweetened the pot this year with a provision that mandates that the revenue from casino-sponsored online poker be used for education.

"This bill is necessary to provide consumer protections and combat illegal websites that are currently offering online poker to New Yorkers - further it would bring in additional revenue for education," he said in an email.

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Casinos, states winning big from online gambling - Huntington Herald Dispatch

For the last four years, three states have had legal online gambling: Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. In that time, weve seen no negative results,despite doomsday predictions that allowingstates to legalize and regulate Internet betting would open the floodgates, allowing anyone in the U.S., regardless of their age, to gamble, become addicted, and ruin their lives.

In reality, however, online gambling in the states has been an unmitigated success: generating hundreds of millions in new tax revenue, thousands of jobs, and saving other flailing industries. In New Jersey, for example, the launch of online betting has been an unmitigated success. Prior to 2013, Atlantic City was in economic freefall with casinos closing (and putting people out of work) in droves. Since then, however, the city has posted its first revenue increase in more than a decade, thanks to the $20 million in tax revenue online gambling generates for the state every month. Since its launch in 2013, the new industry has generated around $125 million in new tax revenue for New Jersey 3,374 new jobs, and $219 million in wages to employees. Furthermore, the license-holders contributed over $1 million in funds for compulsive and problem gambling research and treatment.

Yet, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) is now reportedly trying to put out the lights out on this economic ray of sunshine by inserting language into one of the congressional appropriations bills to create a national prohibition on Internet gambling. And hes doing this even as the legislature of his home state is working tirelessly to regulate the activity and where almost two thirds of voters say they want online gambling legalized.

Legislative dj vu

While details about Dents plan are scant, the tactic sounds like a repeat of the scheme he and other members of Congress cooked up in 2016. For years, prohibitionists have fought and failed to enact a ban on state-based Internet gambling through the normal legislative process. The Restoration of Americas Wire Act (RAWA), a bill created by prominent GOP mega-donor and casino owner Sheldon Adelson, managed to get a few hearings. However, the idea of a federal prohibition against the will of the states runs contrary to the core conservative principle of federalism and the blatant influence of industry money resulted in backlash from both sides of aisle.

If at first you dont succeed, cram it down their throats

Failing to obtain Congressional support on its merits, RAWA supporters switched gears, instead hoping to quietly sneak an Internet gambling ban into law by attaching RAWA language as a rider to one of the spending bills in 2016. Theyve also been trying to push Attorney General Jeff Sessions into creating a ban via administrative fiat.

As with RAWA, these attempts faced significant opposition from center-right groups (including CEI) who see them as gross violations of legislative procedure, a threat to foundational constitutional principles, and harmful to both consumers and the economy.

Undeterred, the anti-gambling cabal is reportedly taking another stab at cramming an online gambling ban down Americans throats by slipping it into the massive 1,000+ page spending bill that Congress must pass before the end of September.

They are nothingif not persistent.

But, so are we. All Americans, regardless of political affiliation or their opinion on gambling, should resist attempts like this to bypass the democratic process and take away states constitutionalright to decide for themselves how to regulate commerce within their borders, all in service of one special interest.

Excerpt from:

Rep. Dent Tries Again to Sneak Online Gambling Ban Through Congress - Competitive Enterprise Institute (blog)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- City leaders say they're going to hold their cards for a while before choosing whether to allow more gambling.

If you're looking to open a new video gambling parlor, you can't do it in Champaign. A few months ago, the city council voted to stop issuing new licenses for places to have video machines. On Tuesday night, they decided to extend that ban.

The majority of the city council voted in favor of extending the new license ban, but for different reasons. Still, most of them were asking the same question: Does the city really need more of those places?

Jim's Place, Lacey's Place, Boochie's Place, and Joobie's. Whatever the owner decides to call them, they're here to stay.

But if you're going to play, you've got to pay.

"14 million dollars was lost on video gambling machines in the City of Champaign last year," said council member Greg Stock, "14 million dollars."

"This gaming thing..it's just not doing something to our community that is great," said council member Clarissa Fourman, "The amount of gaming cafes-- it's a lot."

Illinois Gaming Board records show there are almost 60 places to play in Champaign. Those popped up between the time it was legalized in 2012, and when the city imposed the moratorium this past February. That was set to expire in a few weeks, so the council had a decision to make.

"Even though we like to think that we can make these decisions better than the average American, it's not our job to make these decisions on behalf of the citizens of Champaign," said council member Tom Bruno.

Leaders don't seem to have a solid consensus on whether these places are good or bad, or whether the results they produce can be ugly. City staff members say the community doesn't seem to mind.

"We have not heard a lot of negative feedback about the moratorium," says deputy liquor commissioner Matt Roeschley, "Maybe somewhat surprisingly, but there hasn't been a lot of community input on that."

Mayor Deb Feinen says the freeze is only so they have time to come up with a policy on what (if anything) should be done.

"All we're doing is having a moratorium so we don't have an increase of this type of business while we decide whether or not we're going to regulate or what the appropriate regulation is," said Feinen.

The license moratorium has now been extended until January. The city will use the time to decide whether a policy change is needed.

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Ban on new video gambling licenses extended - IllinoisHomePage.net

BBC News

Australian A$11.3bn gambling merger gets go-ahead BBC News A merger between Australian gambling giants Tabcorp and Tatts Group has been approved by authorities. Plans to form a business worth A$11.3bn ($8.6bn; 6.7bn) emerged last year. Despite objections from rival betting companies, the Australian ... Australian gambling giants get approval to form powerhouseManila Bulletin all 60 news articles »

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Australian A$11.3bn gambling merger gets go-ahead - BBC News

Pending state legislation carves out $500,000 annually for the city of Erie from county gambling revenues to fund emergency services and infrastructure projects.

Pending state legislation that would give Erie County government sole authorization over the distribution of the multimillion-dollar local share of gambling money alsocarves out $500,000 annually for the city of Erie to fund emergency services and infrastructure projects.

Erie City Council is poised to ask State Sen. Dan Laughlin to make sure that yearly funding becomes a reality.

City Council on Wednesday night could waive agenda rules and vote on a resolution urging Laughlin, of Millcreek Township, R-49th Dist., and the Pennsylvania Senate "to retain the $500,000 for city capital projects or emergency services in the gaming legislation," according to Councilman Bob Merski, who plans to sponsor the resolution.

Merski said council members want members of the state Senate to make sure the money earmarked for the city remains in the final version of the bill.House Bill 271 was approved by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on June 7 by a 102-89 vote.

The bill currently sits in a state Senate committee.

"As goes the city, so goes the region, so it makes sense to support capital projects and emergency services in the city," Merski said. "The region's lead assets are all in the city, and this is recognition that city taxpayers have been carrying the weight of these expenses for the whole region.

City Council meets Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Bagnoni Council Chambers at City Hall, 626 State St.

Kevin Flowers can be reached at 870-1693 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNflowers.

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Erie City Council seeks gambling funds promise - GoErie.com

CHAMPAIGN The Champaign City Council's vote Tuesday on extending a video-gaming moratorium until Jan. 23 will show how serious it is about added regulations on gambling providers.

The temporary moratorium, which bans installing and operating video-gaming terminals in newly licensed liquor-serving establishments, was passed on Feb. 21 and extended on April 11. It would expire on July 18 unless extended again.

Council members say the moratorium's purpose is to allow time for analysis and deliberation about more gambling regulations.

In Champaign where more than a half billion dollars has been wagered since September 2012 video gaming is regulated through liquor licenses and not a specific video-gambling license, which is the method Urbana uses.

Deputy City Manager Matt Roeschley said there will be a city council meeting this fall about the possible regulation methods, including ones used by cities nearby or of comparable size. If the council decides on a path then, he said, there will be enough time to prepare it before Jan. 23, plus some extra time in case of a delay.

"I think council was pretty clear that the majority is interested in regulating video gaming in some way which we don't do now," Roeschley said, noting that members are especially concerned about gambling parlors or cafes.

There are 60 places in Champaign with licensed video gambling, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Some 28 of them are bars/restaurants, 17 are cafes/parlors and the rest are bingo halls/fraternal establishments, gas stations, bowling alleys, music venues, hotels or veterans' establishments.

Some council members have been concerned with this type of gambling becoming commonplace in the Champaign.

Council member Greg Stock said the gambling is "particularly present in low-income areas. I think that makes it borderline predatory for people in bad financial circumstances."

Other council members have said they want to avoid government overreach.

"I don't want government stepping in to exercise moral judgment every time someone spends their money in a manner I wouldn't spend mine or in a way that's foolish and wasteful," said council member Tom Bruno.

Roeschley said he isn't aware of the city receiving any negative feedback about the moratorium.

He also said applications for operating the gambling terminals have dried up since it was first allowed.

Illinois' Video Gaming Act, which legalized terminals in places licensed for alcohol consumption on the premises, was enacted July 2009. It also allows municipalities to ban gambling via an ordinance, which was done by Chicago.

Excerpt from:

Freeze on gambling: In or out? - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

Fifty-six years. That's how long it would take if the one dozen companiesthe Indian central bank is pushing into bankruptcy were to repay creditors by handing over their entire current operating income.

The Distressed Dozen

It would take Jyoti Structures more than 90 years of earnings to pay back its debt. Six years ago, that task would have been achieved in under three

Source: Bloomberg

For India's capital-starved commercial lenders, at the receiving end of much of this $37 billion of unpaid debt, waiting for even 56 days without a resolution isn't an option. Hence the nuclear strike against errant borrowers.

Total debt of distressed dozen

$37 billion

The Reserve Bank of India has used authority it received only last month to identify 12 large corporate accounts for action. This is the first batch of 60 delinquencies it wants to clear up in 90 days. The target smacks of desperation. As the banking regulator, the RBI has thrown all it could at the bad-loan problem. Yet the malaise continues to worsen, afflicting almost one-fifth of all assets. If forced bankruptcies fail, the bank has no Plan B.

Pass the Capital, Please

Stressed assets are now higher than Indian lenders' net worth. But with provisioning still inadequate, selling assets below book value will need fresh capital from the government

Source: McKinsey & Co.

The risk of failure isn't trivial. These corporate accounts have one thing in common: a business family that stands to lose control. Most of these "promoters," as controlling shareholders are known in India, will useall their clout to resist any attempt to take away what they see as theirs.

Having already sold their oil-refining business to lighten the debt load, the billionaire Ruia brothers are dead set against giving up ownership of their steel business.

Essar Steel India Ltd. isn't alone. RBI's hit list has several borrowers from the industry, including Bhushan Steel Ltd., Electrosteel Steels Ltd.,Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd. and Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd.

The economics behind RBI's thinking is sound. Despite a near-80 percent jump over one year in metal prices, 55 percent of the Indian steel debt is with borrowers whose operating incomes are inadequate to service interest. To get to an interest-coverage ratio of 1, debt-servicing costs would need to fall by 70 percent, according to Credit Suisse Group AG.

The promoters would claim (to anybody in New Delhi who would listen) that this is only true at present levels of profitability. India's investment drought, they would argue, is coming to an end. Real estate is on the cusp of a frenzy. Tata Steel Ltd. expects auto demand to grow by 9.5 percent.

All it would take for the RBI to make their debt whole again is to tweak restructuring norms, so the lenders are able to exchange more than half their advances for redeemable preference shares or optionally convertible debentures. This, they would insist, would give creditors a better recovery rate than relying on a court-appointed officer to find a buyer. Besides, the funding for the 2019 general elections will have to come from Indian businessmen, not American private equity.

Maybe the RBI has New Delhi's assurance that there'll be no political interference. Or perhaps the central bank just wants to scare the promoters into coughing up fresh equity, a key sticking point in any further restructuring.

The regulator is unlikely to harbor illusions about the ability of a one-year-old bankruptcy lawand an under-prepared tribunal to work through complex cases without hiccups. The RBI'staking a gamble, using its new resolution powers via an internal committee whose membership is also secret. This lack of transparency, however, could become a tool for detractors to question its objectivity.

If the first batch of 12 troubled debtors stalls the judicial process, there'll be a question over the remaining $150 billion of stressed assets. And that kitty would swell if telecom loans joined the nightmare, as if a debt-to-Ebitda ratio of 56 years wasn't scary enough.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

To contact the author of this story: Andy Mukherjee in Singapore at amukherjee@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Sillitoe at psillitoe@bloomberg.net

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Gambling With the Distressed Dozen - Bloomberg Gadfly - Bloomberg

Jimmy Carter, the 86-year-old leader of The Blind Boys of Alabama, made one point clear from the start of a recent concert set in the middle of a Connecticut casino: If you are not here for music praising God, best leave now.

For the next 90 minutes, the renowned Gospel group sang, danced and testified that My God is real, for I can feel him in my soul as if it were a Sunday morning in a black church in Birmingham.

But jumping into the lions den at Mohegan Sun casino, or in this case a venue called the Wolf Den, is just one way for religious folks to make a difference in response to an ever-expanding gambling industry.

Two new studies show religion can help deter gambling even as local governments searching for new forms of tax revenue give legitimacy to an industry that appears to exert its greatest harm on societys most vulnerable.

In one national study, people who attended religious services most often had the fewest problem gambling symptoms such as borrowing money to gamble or betting more than you can afford to lose.

A separate study measuring the different effects of faith on casino and lottery gambling and betting online found that being part of religious life generally reduces the likelihood of gambling.

For those concerned that mass gambling has been a Faustian bargain, the researchers stated, our overall conclusion that gambling varies depending on different indicators of faith suggests new pathways for ameliorating ordinary and perhaps even heavy gambling.

Nearly all religious traditions oppose the personal and social ills associated with gambling.

For example, the Quran teaches, Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of God, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?

In 2012, the United Methodist Church declared that, Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic and spiritual life.

What adds urgency to their concern are research findings that indicate that more people suffer the easier it is to gamble.

And the negative effects fall disproportionately on the poor and disadvantaged, who are more likely to see gambling as a way out of poverty rather than investments with significant overall negative rates of return.

One of the latest studies, analyzing data from a national survey of nearly 3,000 adults from 2011 to 2013, revealed that people who lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods had the most problem gambling symptoms.

The study also found that people who said it was most convenient for them to gamble had the highest average problem gambling symptoms, compared to those for whom gambling was less accessible.

But high rates of attending religious services predicted fewer gambling ills. Those who attended religious services weekly or even more often reported the fewest indicators of problem gambling.

The pro-social individuals who attend religious services regularly are less likely to fit into the anti-social/impulsivist model of problem gambling, researchers from the State University of New York at Buffalo and Buffalo State College suggested.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith [LC-DIG-highsm-06598]

A separate survey analyzing data from nearly 2000 adults ages 23 and older found that no one religious approach worked best in response to all forms of gambling.

Being a follower of a religious tradition and greater religious service attendance reduced the likelihood of casino gambling and lottery play, the survey found. Evangelical Protestantism had the strongest deterrent effect.

But religious salience, or considering faith an important part of your life, was the only dimension that constrained online gambling.

Overall, the researchers noted, there are multiple ways religion may discourage gambling.

Simply put, spending time at congregations means less time to go to a casino. Being integrated into the life of religious institutions means one is less likely to risk being seen as a gambler buying lotto tickets. And even the most secluded form of gambling on the Internet appears to be curtailed when we consider how much personal guidance people derive from religion, researchers from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Arizona stated.

For their part, the Blind Boys of Alabama never directly mentioned gambling in their casino concert. They stayed focused on their mission of praising God.

Some gamblers left shortly after the music started and those outside the open-air venue kept their eyes fixed forward, mechanically pumping coin after coin into a sea of brightly colored slot machines.

For the people who remained, however, one song, Way Down in the Hole by singer-songwriter Tom Waits, seemed to carry special resonance.

Concertgoers themselves fell into a call-and-response tradition of shouted affirmation, dancing and applause dating back centuries as the vibrant, intricate Gospel harmonies conveyed an unapologetic Christian message:

All the angels sing about Jesus' mighty sword, And they'll shield you with their wings, And keep you close to the lord, Don't pay heed to temptation, For his hands are so cold, You gotta help me keep the devil, Way down in the hole.

Test your knowledge of faith and gambling. Take the quiz.

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Religion And Gambling: Studies Find The Wages Of Faith May Be Fewer Lost Wages - HuffPost

Ellen Rohr is back on KOLR10 Daybreak to talk about problem gambling - how you can recognize it, avoid it and get help for it.

Hey, it's fun to head off to the casino and roll the dice, right? You can budget a few dollars, or twenty, or a hundred. That could be the investment in an evening of entertainment. However, the enjoyment can turn to big problems. When does harmless gambling tip into life-devastating addiction? And what can you do about it? How can you help someone else?

* The form it takes

o Sure, going to the casino counts as gambling. What about online poker or fantasy football betting? How about lottery tickets?

* The 20 Questions of GA - Gamblers Anonymous. Check out http://www.gamblersanonymous.org Here are a few

* Has gambling caused you to miss work or school?

* Has gambling made your home life unhappy?

* After a big loss, do you feel like you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?

* After a win, do you have a strong urge to return and win more?

* Do you often gamble until your last dollar is gone?

* Do you ever gamble longer than you had planned?

o The Financial Effect

* Of course, loss of home, job, and relationships.

* You can go to less than zero really fast.

* Lie, cheat, steal to make ends meet.

* Pay Day loansscary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payday_loans_in_the_United_States Prop: Hand for Shark Fin

* Scarier stillloan sharks! You can report a loan shark however! https://www.quora.com/If-you-get-a-loan-from-a-loan-shark-will-reporting-them-to-police-absolve-you-from-the-need-to-repay-this-loan

o Protecting yourself from a Gambling Addict

* Gam - Anon is a good place to start if you are trying to change someone else. Mind your own hula hoop.

* Lying is a symptom of the disease.

* Lecturing probably won't help.

* It's OK to tell others. Let them know not to loan the addict money.

* Separate yourself from their credit cards, bank accounts, and

create your own. Don't share the pins or passwords. Prop: Checkbook

* If they have stopped gambling, you may work out financial rebuilding steps together. Only then.

* Lay claim to your financial power. Learn how to create, read and use financial reports. Prop: No Whining!

* Getting out of the financial hole requires "rigorous honesty". Getting out of the financial hole requires "Rigorous honesty."

o Addiction is #1 health crisis. These tips will help you confront and address the addictive challenges in your life, or in your family or community.

* What about cutting back? Try that. If you or they are gambling as much as ever, there is your answer. It is a progressive disease.

* 12 Step Programs workif you work them. It's a community of love, acceptance, surrender, responsibility.

* There are a lot of snappy quips from the 12 Step crowd. There's even a book called, "101 Common Cliches of AA". The subtitle is "The Sayings Newcomers Hate and Oldtimers Love".

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Ellen Rohr: Has Gambling become a Problem? - OzarksFirst.com

Gambling is the opioid of Harrisburg lawmakers. It comes with all the hallmarks of addiction: compulsive need, increasing tolerance, and the drive to continue to consume despite negative consequences.

Lawmakers got their first real taste when they legalized gaming in 2004 and began opening slots parlors around the state. When that wasnt enough, they added table games. Then they began talking about adding video-game terminals in bars, clubs and other outlets, which they recently began pushing to help close a massive budget hole.

It is true that gambling has been a great success in the state: Slots alone have generated $22 billion in revenue, after payouts on wagers are paid. Table games have generated $4 billion. These rewards go to local municipalities who host casinos, give tax reductions to taxpayers, and help prop up the states horse-racing industry.

Of course, theres another way of seeing that $26 billion: The money gamblers lost to casinos in the past 11 years. Every year, $2 billion flies out of the pockets of Pennsylvanians and visitors from elsewhere.

Now lawmakers want to unleash another $100 million a year from peoples pockets with video-gaming terminals to help deal with a $3 billion deficit.

(If gambling were the answer to filling budget holes, why do the state budget woes get bigger every year? ) Lawmakers are also looking at new ways to slice the pie of money that comes in; a change in what casinos are taxed will set a new standard of $10 million a year per casino earmarked for those municipalities that host casinos. Philadelphias share is $7 million, with $5 million going to schools. State Sen. Larry Farnese and others want to divert some of the new amount that would go to Philadelphia to the Department of Commerce and Economic Development, a state agency that hands out grants, over which the city has no control.

So the state has mandated gambling, mandated exactly where casinos were going, and now want to control some of the money that goes to the municipalities that host the casinos.

The streets, and services, and citizens of the city are the ones accommodating the state-mandated casino. And since the state has systematically reduced its support of the schools, it seems logical that this extra money should go to the schools, not back to the state.

Meanwhile, while lawmakers tinker with the gaming law, we wish they would finally take a long look at the share that goes to the faltering horse race industry. Propping up this industry was the original intent behind the gaming law, and since gaming was legalized, the horse race industry has received over $1 billion. Yes, ONE BILLION dollars.

And yet, despite this generous infusion of cash, the industry continues to decline. Why are we propping up one special-interest group instead of the common good? Especially since the budget woes of the state are likely to be harming actual, real people, not animals.

Horse breeders and others in the horse-racing industry cry doomsday tears every time such a suggestion gets made. But lets be honest: We have one form of gambling casinos that essentially provides the winnings to fuel another form of gambling horse racing. And lawmakers who continue to feed that cycle of addiction.

Published: June 19, 2017 3:01 AM EDT Philadelphia Daily News

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Taxpayers: Pennsylvania lawmakers have a gambling problem - Philly.com