Who defines the terms

By the Rev. Lorin Clemenz

In working to defeat the expansion of the growth of legalized gambling in Indiana, I have come to admit to some confusion. Some ideas and beliefs seem so clear that I have a difficult time understanding why others cannot see it in the same light. When a political figure says he or she is opposed to the expansion of gambling but argues that enlarging the casino boats so more slot machines and table games can be added is not an expansion of gambling, then I wonder if we are on the same planet.

I read from the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, “Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government. As an act of faith and concern, Christians should abstain from gambling and should strive to minister to those victimized by the practice. Where gambling has become addictive, the Church will encourage such individuals to receive therapeutic assistance so that the individual’s energies may be redirected into positive and constructive ends. The Church should promote standards and personal lifestyles that would make unnecessary and undesirable the resort to commercial gambling- including public lotteries – as a recreation, as an escape, or as a means of producing public revenue or funds for support of charities or government.” ¶ 163.IV.G 2004 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.

There are four areas that ICALG leaders identify as expansion of legalized gambling:

CASINO EXPANSION. The present casinos in Indiana continue to expand so as to allow for more slots and table games. There seems to be a move from riverboat casinos to permanent land based casino. The Indiana Gaming Commission is supposed to represent the citizens of Indiana as well as regulate gambling. Where do we see the concern for the citizens?
ELECTRONIC GAMBLING DEVICES IN BARS, RESTAURANTS AND CLUBS. By allowing up to five electronic gambling devices in up to 3,500 bars and restaurants and up to ten in fraternal clubs, we could see as many as 20,000 new slot machines throughout Indiana.
5,000 SLOT MACHINES AT HORSE RACE TRACKS. This is supposedly and attempt to rescue horse racing in Indiana. We know that those who will go to the tracks for the slot machines have little if any interest in racing. Why do we continue to prop up a dying enterprise? If this is successful it just means we will have two additional casinos!
PRIVATIZATION OF THE HOOSIER STATE LOTTERY. We question whether a private firm will be able to be controlled by the Indiana Gaming Commission. Senator Jim Merritt of Indianapolis is opposed to any expansion by the privatization of the lottery. We question whether that is possible. Will the company that wins the bid seek ways in which to make even more money for itself? We also object to the lottery because it targets the lower-income residents who can least afford spending money on gambling.

For further reading of these four concerns go to www.inareaumc.org to see the full treatment of gambling concerns here in Indiana.

Lorin Clemenz, serves as the coordinator of the Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.

This proposal will create too many losers

Proponents of expanded gambling have for years trotted out the idea of opening casinos at Indiana’s horse tracks. The proposal isn’t growing any more attractive with age….

HB1835, however, would thrust two casinos into the heart of the state. That move undoubtedly would open the door for even further expansion as operators of existing casinos press state and local governments to allow, in the name of fairness, additional outlets for gambling…

But the idea that something lucrative can be had for nothing is a fallacy. Legislators need to think about just how much two new casinos will cost in term of addiction, bankruptcy, crime and divorce…

The horse-racing industry may well need to add casinos to sustain two tracks in Indiana. But the state’s needs aren’t necessarily the same as the industry.

Indiana has bet heavily that gambling won’t destroy too many families, pull too many people into addiction, wipe out too many bank accounts. It shouldn’t up that ante by adding more casinos.

Exerts from an editorial published in the Feb. 17, 2007 issue of the Indianapolis Star.

Gambling With Terrorism: Gambling’s Strategic Socio-Economic Threat to National Security

By Professor John Warren Kindt, Harvard University,
International Business Conference

Feb. 10-11, 2007

As requested, this summarizes gambling’s impacts on U.S. economic national security, military readiness, and terrorism (including U.S./foreign organized crime). Decision-makers should visualize the most outrageous gambling environment possible and then strategize that gambling environment being extended into the entire developing world and the strategic world economy – but without U.S. high-caliber regulatory mechanisms. Recognizing these gambling scenarios, France, Italy, and Austria opted in 2006 to maintain their anti-gambling laws despite being censured by the European Commission, and thereby creating issues for future E.U.-U.S. interests in economic national security.

By comparison in 2006, gambling issues prodded Russian President Vladimir Putin to close 2,230 Russian casinos. By 2007 only four gambling venues will be allowed in “uninhabited” areas of Siberia, the Far East, and European Russia (but not near Moscow).

China has maintained a total gambling ban (except Macao). Examples include:

Turkey (legalized casinos 1983, banned casinos 1998);
India (banned lotteries 1998);
Norway (ban on all slot machines 2007);
Trinidad (banned all slot machines 2006, online gambling ban likely 2007);
South Korea (banned online gambling 2006); and
Kazakhstan (banning all gambling 2007, except two isolated areas).

In 1999, the U.S. National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) recommended the re-criminalization of selected gambling activities, as well as a moratorium on the legalization of any more gambling of any type anywhere in the United States. However, Las Vegas interests continued to use Jack Abramoff tactics to legalize more gambling worldwide—deceiving Third-World governments into believing gambling is economic development and thereby destabilizing the infrastructures and economies of U.S. allies. Simultaneously, gambling worldwide creates: (1) new addicted gamblers like drug addiction (up 100% for adults, up 200% for teens/college-age); (2) new personal, professional, and business bankruptcies (up 18% to 42%) and (3) new crime and corruption (crime increasing 10% per year in gambling areas).

During the oil crises of the Ford, Carter, and Reagan Administrations, the Presidential option of the states losing federal funds prodded states to lower speed limits to 55 mph and take other actions. To respond to 9-11 the ESA should have required the states to re-criminalize lotteries and all state-sanctioned gambling to “pump-prime” the economy with consumer dollars. In any future crises, The President should implement such action.

For the complete article, e-mail the request to me at lclemenz@sbcglobal.net.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

WRITE TO OR CALL:

GOVERNOR MITCH DANIELS

Call 317-232-4567
Mail to: Office of the Governor, Statehouse, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797

Your State Representative

Call 317-232-9600 or 800-382-9842
Mail to: Name of Your Representative, Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786

Your State Senator

Call 317-232-9400 or 800-382-9467
Mail to: Name of Your Senator, Indiana Senate
200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2785

Representative B. Patrick Bauer, Speaker of the House of Representatives

Senator David Long, President Pro Tempore of the Senate

If you don’t know your elected officials, go to the Internet and log on to: www.IN.gov click on #1. Under Branches, click on Legislative. Under “What’s New,” Click on Who’s Your Legislator

IT IS EASY TO DO!

Bills in the Legislative Hopper at this time include:

SB 0031 Regulation of riverboats
SB 0462 Riverboat economic development agreements
SB 0578 Riverboat operations
HB 1340 Riverboat employment; development agreements
HB 1510 Charity gaming
HB 1529 Charity gaming
HB 1625 Pull tabs, punchboards, and tip boards
HB 1835 Slots at race tracks – passed by the House 54 to 39 - it now goes to the State Senate and then if passed it goes to Governor Daniels. Start calling and writing your State Senator and Governor Daniel to defeat no veto the bill. Important that we do this now!

Select a bill you are concerned about and discover as much about it as you can. If you have a computer with an Internet connection you will find all the information you need. Make sure you write the four people listed at the top of this section. Indicate your opposition and encourage them to vote against it. Ask them to let you know how they voted.

Look for the committee that votes the bill out to the floor and write to each of them stating your position. Write to your local paper and state as clearly and precisely why you oppose expansion of gambling. Talk about your opinions to those you know and encourage them to get involved.

Last updated July 03, 2008

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