It's a real shame isn't it? Why should government money pay for that! When will people realize what this does to our society? My first experience with gambling was as a small child at the track with my uncle who is a life long compulsive gambler. He is in his 70's now and has nothing to show for his entire life. He never had kids. He never quit. I don't think he thinks he has a problem after all these years.

Maryland recently opened another casino and bragged about all the revenue it will bring in and the jobs it will create. They NEVER talk about the huge problems it brings with compulsive gamblers losing their kids college money, their homes, maxing out credit cards and when that is gone resorting to stealing from work and relatives.

And look at who stands to gain from legalized gambling: credit card companies, the government, mortgage lenders, banks, college loan companies, the government--- all big business, all corporate giants.
And who stand to lose: individuals, families, kids on their way to a life just squandered--- the opposite of big business, or the makers of big business, if you will.
Governments will continue to open as many casinos and race tracks as they can. We the people are disposable commodities in todays corporate world.
Sure, some states will offer gambling counselors, giving the impression of caring, but at the end of the day it is all about their bottom line.
Like putting a band aid on a leak in a resevoir.
Sorry for the cynicism.
John
PS Actuaries employed by prisons calculate the failure rate of public school students at the age of approximately eight and based on that number, they crunch their own numbers, work out how many of these kids will end up in the prison system and start to build prisons to be used , say , ten years from now, based on the failure rate today.

To answer the question- they don't care.
As a matter of fact, they are not only killing us and so many more people each day, but they're also slowly killing the golden goose they've become so fond of. I'm from NJ and it seems like there is no end to the variety and breadth of the gambling opportunities either existing or proposed. The problem is that with so much competition, it's starting to starve the revenues and create so many other problems in the process. I hope that with all this nonsense, the public can realize that it's a lost cause and go the other way- it would be much nicer if they recognized how many lives it's affecting, but that's not even a real part of the equation. Makes me sick.

Absolutely....they don't care. Oh they pretend by posting all these nice signs giving the phone number if you think you have a problem, but in the end it's all about money.

yes cherbear,
gambling has been going on since Jesus' time and before.
always with the idea of the "house odds". THEY WIN.

yes Andy729,
they talk about the jobs, that by the way the waitresses in the Indian c - - - - - s start at about $3.00 an HOUR....
the jobs come and then the bankruptcies and the crime....
stats are there for proof, in all states with gambling.

yes redsor,
"disposable commodities"
that we are to the c - -----s,
think of how they treat you when you no longer bring them
cash, money, revenue, you are nothing................then.
That little bit of caring they exemplify.......
the Indian casinos give about 1-2% of their yearly "take" to the
communitites to appease the gov't. Out of $400ish MILLION a YEAR
they get about 1-2M for the schools etc but hey at the least the kids are educated so they can become good little gamblers and then have the where with all to know how to rack up credit card debt and use their wits to get unsecured loans to gamble more.
Just go to a local c- - -- - where there is a college and "SEE" the learning going on.

yes Jay,
so many proposed and so many alread existing places to go and lose your life and your health and your money.........
so many and they are all now fighting for their market share of the profits, the gambling business is $BILLIONS each year.
Okay if you can do it responsible and they do give us the helplines and the "opportunity" to know the number, it may be printed somewhere on their websites or literature but hey,
They LET us overdraw our accounts, give us check writing priveleges when we are already in trouble and they know when we are overdrawn, the don't often allow us to self-ban, and if they do they don't enforce it, they give FREE drinks, wow just to be kind and accomodating...........all BS to get us hooked and become addicts and then offer the least effort possible of appearing to stand behind
"RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING".
SORRY, but what the hell is that anyway?
Would we go to a bar or an opera or a restaurant and say pay $400 for a night out? I've paid thousands for dinner and thousands for a room.
The only way society will realize that it is " a lost cause" is NEVER.
There has always been and always will be gambling but when we speak out we can afford to keep them to certain standards and criteria especially as these years go by and the "brain scientists" come out with more education and learning about this DISEASE then maybe we can be comforted by the fact that more laws will be imposed upon this "run-a-way" industry.

yes, Bernie23,
the signs posted, out of good eye-sight and the numbers on the websites, in small print, and the literature available is you even know to ask for it.
I would like to see that all c - - - - - s, whether state, federal, private or Indian or otherwise are mandated to have a self-ban that is strictly enforced along with the swiping of your drivers license to get in, not just some "big" security guy scanning for youngsters along with a HUGE office and booth for Problem Gamblers right inside the c - - - - - s to offer help to someone who is IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN BE DANGEROUS TO HEALTH AND WELFARE.

Anytime anyone one of you or
all of you would like to somehow become
involved in having any of this happen or somehow
become involved actively in pushing for gambling
activism and changes,
PLEASE just let me know.
I am ready willing and able.

ps
simply go to your "state" Gaming Commission website
and see what the contracts for gaming involve.
For most Indian it is ...............

2% of total revenue generated by the NET gains of all
electronic machines of chance.
that doesn't include table games etc not the food, beverage or
the accomodations, not the concerts the gift shops etc...........

read and learn and get angry and become activists !!
I will be waiting to hear from you.
Lets do something about this,
we can you know.