Important history and background on CAGE

The Case Against Legalized Gambling

1. Gambling creates no new wealth. It redistributes wealth on an inequitable basis. It enriches the few and impoverishes the many. Gambling is non-productive. It performs no useful or necessary services. Gambling is parasitic.
   
2. Gambling depresses legitimate business, siphoning off money from the regular business community. It dislocates the purchasing dollar. Business leaders are reluctant to invest money in areas that sustain large gambling enterprises because of the ensuing bad debts, delinquent time payments, and bankruptcy. Gambling disrupts the normal checks and balances of a well-ordered community. Gambling restricts business.
   
3. Gambling increases welfare costs. Gambling weakens the stability of family life. Gambling lowers the standard of living and necessitates a larger welfare burden, thus raising taxes. Increased revenue from gambling means larger claims for welfare.
   
4. Gambling increases crime. Gambling always attracts racketeers and mobsters. Gambling increases the number of murders, assaults, robberies, crimes of violence of all kinds, etc. The underworld thrives on gambling. Police costs increase.
   
5. Gambling corrupts government. The gambling industry always seeks to increase its odds and to buy protection. This industry is soul-less in attempting to corrupt law enforcement, judges and politicians. Instead of the state controlling legalized gambling, the gambling industry often ends up in control of the state.
   
   
6. Gambling produces human desperation. Gambling victimizes the poor. Gambling leads to embezzlement, bribes, extortion, treason, suicide, and corruption of college and professional athletes. Crime often results from victims trying to recoup gambling losses. Those who can least afford it usually gamble the most. Gambling exploits the weaknesses of individuals. Gambling and poverty go hand in hand. Inner-city residents are hurt the most by expanded gambling.
   
7. Gambling is a sophisticated form of legalized stealing. In winning, one obtains the wages that another person has earned without giving anything in exchange. The larger the winnings, the more someone else had to lose.
   
8. Gambling produces the wrong attitudes toward work. It promotes the idea that a person can live by his wits and luck without making any contribution to society.
   
9. Gambling contradicts social responsibilities. Mature adults try to minimize the risks in life. Gambling seeks to maximize risks. Responsible societies attempt to build security into life, gambling undermines security. Gambling deliberately creates artificial and unnecessary risks. Gambling militates against the highest values of human welfare. History shows that a major increase in gambling has signified the decline of a nation.
   
10. Gambling revenues violate all the sound theories of taxation. Gambling revenue is regressive, inequitable, variable and unpredictable. To make public services dependent upon erratic gambling "taxes" is irresponsible. Public service should be soundly financed.
    
11. As a source of state revenue, gambling has a consistent record of failure. Proponents promise huge government income from legalized gambling, but only a trickle of money results. Even in Nevada, only about one-third of the state's budget comes from gambling. Lotteries have been discredited as a source of school funds.
    
12. Gambling is socially disintegrating , politically corrupt and morally dangerous. Gambling is bad business, bad politics and bad morals. The State cannot gamble itself rich.

By Harvey N. Chinn
California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion
803 Vallejo Way
Sacramento, California 95818-2152
(916) 441-1844