Naperville should ban video gaming

There's an old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Thanks to Gov. Quinn and our state legislature, which passed a law legalizing video gambling to generate tax revenue for the repair of Illinois' infrastructure, we may now add an addendum to that adage: The roads in Illinois will be paved with ruined lives.

But we don't have to participate in that form of road improvement. Local government - counties and municipalities - may vote to ban the machines in their jurisdiction. The DuPage County Board has just done that. The city of Naperville can follow the county's lead and do the same.

The evidence of ruination caused by video gaming is overwhelming and irrefutable. Beyond the emotional and financial costs paid by families where a member becomes addicted to this most addictive form of gambling, there's a societal cost as well. The estimated social recovery cost for a single pathological gambler according to a 2001 economics study was $13,500. We all pay for that recovery. South Carolina calculated the cost-benefit ratio, and ended its two-year experiment with video gambling. Those who would advocate for the machines from a purely "good for business" perspective simply don't have a case.

So, contact Mayor George Pradel and the members of the Naperville City Council and tell them not to allow the placement of these machines in Naperville. Attend the city council meeting when the issue is taken up.

Rev. Jason Reed

Wesley United Methodist Church

Naperville