Expanded gambling won’t solve problems
Expanded gambling won’t solve problems
Here we go again. The Illinois House and Senate have passed an irresponsible gambling expansion bill on to the governor. And again it includes a provision to add slots at Arlington Park — which believes it has a divine right to have these devices so that its failing enterprise can be salvaged.
Expansion of gambling is irresponsible because it is an ineffective method of generating economic activity and because it creates significant social costs. Society in general is left to support families that are led by problem gamblers. Advocating for gambling is like advocating for drunken driving; it just makes no sense.
We are already stuck with gambling. The promises of its positive contributions to the state have never been fulfilled. That isn’t going to change. Further, new gambling venues will just cannibalize revenues from those already operating, or from other entertainment enterprises. To an extent, gambling is a zero-sum game that doesn’t produce incremental revenue.
Advocating for gambling is the easy way out for legislative leaders. It is much harder to cut costs and return to an era of more modest government. And, legislators may have actually begun to realize that further taxation, which is always acceptable to them, isn’t acceptable to the public anymore.
Instead of an expansion of gambling, the General Assembly should put a laser focus upon creating an environment that will lead to new and expanded businesses whose products and services would bring jobs and sustainable economic growth to the state. This would include reducing personal, business and property taxes, reducing regulations and governmental red tape, significant reductions in state spending and debt, a cessation of pandering to unions, and tort reform.
Despite its natural locational advantages, economic diversification, and talented workforce, Illinois is a lousy place to do business and to live. That has to change, and more gambling won’t do that.
Charles F. Falk
Schaumburg