Gambling has always been part of the American culture since the beginning of its history. It has come in the form of saloon card rooms, horse racing and up to today's high tech computerized slot machines. Many different things have been associated with gambling such as drinking, debt and addiction. If gambling is so horrible then why do so many flock each year to states like Nevada where gambling is legal. The question does it hurt the economy or help it and does the moral hazard to society outweigh the benefits that come from casinos? These are a few questions that often arise when considering the legalization of gambling in an area. In my paper I am going to show the cost and benefits of legalizing gambling in California. .
Costs.
1. New studies show that crime rates for counties with casinos are 8 percent higher than the crime rates of counties without casinos. (NCALG).
2. Serious problem gamblers risk losing their jobs because of gambling activity, while employers must bear the burden of lost productivity associated most gambling workers. (Aloha).
3. Nevada had the fourth highest bankruptcy rate in the nation in 1996. Mississippi, the state with the second-highest level of gambling per-capita, ranked fifth in the nation in per-capita bankruptcy filings. (NCALG).
4. Gambling takes money away from other local businesses. In Atlantic City, the number of independent restaurants dropped from 48 the year casinos opened to 16 in 1997. Within just four years of the casinos' arrival, one-third of the City's retail businesses had closed. (NCALG).
5. A 1995 survey of Illinois riverboat casinos found that 85% of their patrons lived within 50 miles of the casino at which they were gambling. (NCALG).
Benefits.
1. The economic benefits that have arisen from gambling can best be seen in the labor market. Indian casinos have hired a large number of both Indian and non-Indian peoples for both skilled and unskilled jobs.