Author: Garry Smith
In an effort to transform negative public perception of gambling, governments promote their legal gambling initiatives on the following grounds:
The need to keep gambling dollars from migrating to other jurisdictions;
The difficulty in enforcing the present gambling laws;
A way to generate government revenues without raising taxes;
A way to revive economically depressed areas; a way to stimulate tourism;
A way to prevent the infiltration of organized crime; and a way to provide a revenue stream for popular social programs and worthy causes.
The vital issue that needs to be addressed is whether a government’s apparent gambling addiction is curable, and if so, what is the treatment? The first step to improving government gambling operations is the creation of a plan that details a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to deal with all aspects of gambling policy.
This publication, based on a review of the material and research on gambling to date, recommends a sequence of events to determine public opinion, reporting, and accountability to reduce the impact of gambling on communities.