Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling
PO Box 3931, Concord, NH 03302-3931 (603) 643-6059
www.NoSlots.com
Whether at racetracks, hotels or owned by the state, slots casinos would:
Cause big, out-year state budget gaps. Casino promoters are using wildly inflated revenue projections. Millennium Gaming projects that Rockingham will produce slot-machine revenues two-thirds higher than typical race track casinos. If Massachusetts were to legalize mega-casinos, New Hampshire’s smaller facilities would be unable to compete, leaving us with all the harms of slots casinos AND a state budget problem.
Aggravate state budget pressures. Casino advocates never account for the not-so-hidden costs of gambling-addiction: white collar and violent crime, civil justice, reduced workplace productivity, healthcare and human services. These costs are 2 to 3 times the gambling revenue and will drive up mandatory spending in Corrections, DHHS, and other state agencies.
Damage our state’s economy. Gambling interests are proposing convenience (local customer) casinos, because the New Hampshire market is too small for Foxwoods-type destination-resort casinos. Because most casino patrons live nearby, convenience casinos would drain revenue from existing New Hampshire businesses, such as restaurants, hospitality and retailers. Loss of revenue by these businesses is not voluntary.
Drain business profits from New Hampshire. Out-of-state interests would own and profit from casino operations to a greater extent than the shuttered and shrunken New Hampshire businesses casinos would replace.
Damage tourism. Whether in local or destination casinos, patrons do not leave casinos to visit nearby visitor amenities, draining revenue from existing tourism, New Hampshire’s second largest industry. Casinos would also sully New Hampshire’s healthy and valuable “brand” image.
Destroy families and damage our state’s enviable quality-of-life. Casinos double gambling addiction within a 50 mile radius. Casinos at the four race tracks and one North Country location would create at least 3,000 additional pathological gambling addicts among our neighbors, 600 of whom would attempt suicide. Gambling addiction sharply increases divorce, bankruptcy, family violence, attempted suicide and teen addictions.
Harm New Hampshire children. A Rutgers University study found that teens are one-third more likely become gambling addicts if their parents gamble. A University of Delaware study found that Delaware teens gambling over the past month were two to three times more likely than non-gambling peers to smoke, binge drink, steal, or use illegal drugs. A National Academy of Sciences commission meta-study found that an estimated 10 percent of children and 50 percent of spouses suffer physical abuse at the hands of gambling addicts.
Increase six of the seven FBI Index I crimes by 8 to 10 percent (aggravated assault, rape, robbery, larceny, burglary and auto theft).
Create gambling addicts in order to tax them: Half of gambling taxes would be paid by problem and pathological gamblers for whom gambling is not voluntary.
Increase political corruption. If casinos were legalized, gambling interests would soon dominate the legislature, as in most other casino states.
Open the tribal casino loophole. Under federal law, legalization of even one slot machine would require the state to allow unregulated casinos owned by recognized tribes. There is no legal means to limit gambling to race tracks or state-owned casinos. Gambling interests fund tribal recognition once slots are legalized.
Gambling addiction treatment fails to solve the problem. Even when available, treatment services are sought and used by only 7-9 percent of addicts and are therefore not a substitute for preventing the problem by keeping casinos out of New Hampshire.