More gambling not the answer

It is unfortunate that the Kane County Board recently reversed its ban on video poker, which will now allow the machines into bars and restaurants. This makes gambling much more accessible to people who may have never visited a casino or played the lottery. And at what cost?

The board is blind when it argues that video poker will bring in more revenue for government. About 25 percent of the funds generated by these machines will actually go back to the government. The rest of it will go to the coin operators and businesses that have the machines.

We would be outraged if only 25 percent of our tax dollars ended up funding state services. And who pays for all of this? The funds come on the backs of the poor and those with gambling addictions, people looking for the "big win" who can ill afford to spend their money this way. Video poker machines have been called the "crack cocaine" of gambling, and with good reason. They are built with the sole intent of hooking the player into a downward no-win cycle of spending into extinction. Research has shown that these machines hook the pleasure center in the brain much as cocaine hooks the drug user.

This is a poor way for government to raise money. I would think the county board would be more concerned about the health and welfare of its citizens, especially the most vulnerable among us. Aligning itself with the gambling interests reflects poorly on the board. The social costs of gambling far outweigh any supposed benefits.

Thomas Walker

Elgin