Thursday, June 17, 1999
Public gives gambling 3 cherries
Economic benefits outweigh qualms
The Associated Press and The Cincinnati Enquirer
WASHINGTON — Legal gambling in America enjoys broad public acceptance, a new poll shows, reflecting the steadily increasing role that lotteries, casinos and other games of chance have come to play in the nation's culture.
Nearly two-thirds of American adults approve of legal gambling, a Gallup poll said Wednesday. Three-quarters of those surveyed said they approve of state lotteries, while 67 percent said that opening a casino helps a community's economy.
Riverboat casinos have become big business in the Tristate. So far this year, visitors have taken more than 12.6 million cruises on Indiana's nine riverboat casinos — which in turn paid about $139.4 million in state and local taxes.
In Greater Cincinnati, Argosy Casino Lawrenceburg has consistently broken its own monthly admissions and wagering figures for the past year, making it the nation's most successful riverboat casino.
Grand Victoria Casino and Resort in Rising Sun adds to the traffic, and the two boats together tallied 892,000 admissions in April alone.
As Indiana riverboat gaming continues to boom, Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton has said casino gambling is an issue the state's General Assembly must consider.
Gambling has grown substantially in the past two decades. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia now run lotteries; commercial casinos operate in 10 states, and Indian tribes have opened casinos in at least 22 states.
Almost half of those polled favored maintaining the current level of legal gambling, while 22 percent favored expansion, 16 percent wanted to roll it back and 13 percent supported a gambling ban.
“There is a clear distinction in Americans' minds about the economic benefits of casinos and the social impact on the communities in which they operate,” Gallup reported.
The gambling industry may face a popularity problem in the future, as the teen-agers who were polled, more than the adults, saw a dark side to gambling.
Gallup's phone poll of 1,523 adults and 501 teens April 30-May 3 carries an error margin of 3 percentage points for adults and 5 percentage points for teens.
The National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling will hold its 13-state Midwest regional conference in Indianapolis on July 30 to mull over the study.
5/3 makes its biggest acquisition
CEO sees plenty of room for growth
P&G set to export area jobs
GE sells engines to Embraer
Public gives gambling 3 cherries
Inflation chatter inflated or real?
Updated 'lemon law' in effect in 90 days
TRISTATE BUSINESS SUMMARY
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PROJECTS
INDUSTRY NOTES: REAL ESTATE
TRISTATE MARKET SPOTLIGHT
