Dear Friends,
Good news on the gambling issue at the state legislature. Thanks in no small measure to your support with emails, phone calls, etc., the four gambling bills we opposed never made it through the legislature, in fact, some of them got swatted down in their first committee. The following is what happened to each of the bills.
- HB 101—The omnibus racetrack bill. This would have allowed unlimited slots at the tracks, every conceivable table game, and Online full-blown casino-style gambling. Also added were ATM’s on the casino floor, and dropping the age for gambling to 18. It appeared in House Education Committee where I didn’t even get to testify against it because about thirty tribal officials and representative blasted it and said the state would lose its $80 million in revenue sharing if this bill passed. It never made it out of that committee. DEAD.
- HB 199—Advance Account Wagering bill. It would allow bets to be placed on tracks around the country using “electronic means” (aka Online gambling). In House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, I testified, but NO tribes testified in opposition to the bill, and it unanimously passed on to the House Judiciary Committee. I talked to some tribal representatives after that meeting and pointed out that this would violate their exclusivity and enact Online gambling. I understand that some of the smaller tribes wanted it to pass so they would have an excuse (not a legal one) to enact Online sports betting. Four of the tribes have already enacted paper sports betting in violation of state law, so they would feel justified in taking the next step. In Judiciary Committee, the first words out of my mouth were, “This is an Online gambling bill.” After that, every supporter of the bill was very defensive and tried to convince the committee that it was NOT Online gambling, but simple pari-mutuel betting. “If it swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck…” There were several tribal representatives that testified strongly against the bill. It was tabled and didn’t make it to the next committee. DEAD.
- SB 153—Gaming Tax Credit. This bill would allow the tracks to subtract costs of capital improvements from their yearly tax bill, saving them millions of dollars, and giving them a tax break unavailable to any other industry in the state. It was heard in Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee where business people, animal rights advocates and anti-gambling (me) spokespeople attacked the bill. It was tabled to wait on a judgement from the Finance Committee. It never left the first committee. DEAD.
- SB 362—The senate version of the Advance Account Wagering bill. This committee read the tea leaves and never even scheduled the bill to be heard. DEAD.
At least as far as gambling was concerned, a very satisfying legislative session. It was pretty weird having meetings on Zoom, and they wouldn’t let you testify a second over two minutes, but who cares. We got the right result.
Thanks for all of the support during the session. I’m sure we had some impact on the result.
Cordially,
Dr. Guy Clark, chairman
The promise and power of gambling
According to the American Gaming Association, gambling in the US is a $240 billion industry employing 1.7 million people in forty states. Why is gambling so popular?
The former Director of Gaming Enforcement for the state of New Jersey told a conference that the success of Atlantic City was tied to how well it sold its “only products.” He explained:
“That product is not entertainment or recreation or leisure. It’s really adrenaline: a biological substance capable of producing excitement—highs generated usually by anticipation or expectation of a future event, especially when the outcome of that event is in doubt.”
According to a chief regulator of the industry, gambling is not only a drug, but a mind-altering drug. One author calls it a “controlled substance.”
Psychologists offer several reasons for the popularity of gambling in our culture:
• It provides a sense of partial reinforcement we crave. “I’ll get lucky next time” is a powerful lure.
• Some fall for the “gambler’s fallacy” of believing that a string of losses makes a win more likely.
• The illusion of control causes many gamblers to believe that they have some power over the outcome (whether picking numbers in a lottery or blowing on dice before throwing them).
• Loss aversion is a major motivator: we feel more pain over losing $100 than joy over winning $100. When a gambler loses money, he or she is motivated to keep gambling so as to recover what has been lost.
Solomon observed, “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty” (Proverbs 28:19 NIV). He added, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV).
Paul warned that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Timothy 6:10).
The plague of addictive gambling
As many as 750,000 young people have a gambling addiction. People between the ages of twenty and thirty have the highest rates of problem gambling (defined as “an urge to gamble continuously despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop”).
People who abuse alcohol are twenty-three times more likely to develop a gambling addiction. An estimated 50 percent of those with gambling problems commit crimes to support their addiction.
According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, there is evidence that pathological gambling is an addiction similar to chemical addiction. Winning at gambling has been compared neurologically to a cocaine addict receiving an infusion of the drug.
Those who are pathological gamblers are highly likely to exhibit other psychiatric problems, including substance abuse, mood and anxiety disorders, or personality disorders.
Problem gambling has also been linked to increased suicide attempts. A report in the US by the National Council on Problem Gambling showed that approximately one in five pathological gamblers attempts suicide. The council also reported that suicide rates among pathological gamblers were higher than for any other addictive disorder.
Step-based treatment programs now exist for problem gamblers. Anti-addiction drugs are being tested on gambling addicts as well.
Responding to addictive gambling
Does the possibility of gambling addiction mean that all gambling is wrong?
Many substances and activities can become addictive. The fact that some people are addicted to their cell phones does not mean that cell phones should be illegal.
But it does mean that you should absolutely know your limits and be aware of any inclination toward gambling addiction. This online test is one way to determine whether you have a problem or not.
Scripture teaches, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NIV). This text does not mean that no one should ever drink alcohol. But it does mean that no one should ever get drunk. Then alcohol becomes the primary determiner of our actions rather than the Holy Spirit.
The same principle applies to any substance or activity, gambling included. If gambling rather than the Spirit is controlling your life, stop and get help now.
The basic temptation in life
The first temptation in human history was to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5). This is still the basic temptation in all of life.
Think about the last sin you committed. At its root, was it not a desire to do what you wanted rather than what God wanted? Was it not a decision to be your own God?
Gambling, whether legalized betting on sports or any other form of wagering, can become a powerful drug. It can easily become addictive and lead to other destructive behaviors. And it can deceive us into believing the lie that we are in charge of our circumstances and our lives.
Only the gambler knows if he or she is wagering for fun or from an insidious motive. Thomas Watson was right: “Sin has the devil for its father, shame for its companion, and death for its wages.”
Every time.