Gambling victims called too ashamed to come forward

Pascagoula physician Paul H. Moore and other members of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission meet Thursday in Biloxi for what is their fourth on-site fact-finding trip. The panel meets Friday in New Orleans.

The commission has already held hearings in Boston, Chicago and Atlantic City. The final session is in Las Vegas. It must report to Congress and the president by June 1999.

Congress told the panel to study the economic and social impact of gambling in the United States.

Moore, 70, was appointed to the commission by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.

Moore said the commission has tried not to be affected by the hoopla associated with the casino business. He said it is not easy.

"If you've been to Biloxi, if you've walked down the streets or highways of Biloxi, it doesn't take a genius to see that certainly there is a lot of economic benefits -- the day and night noise of construction going on and the ads in the paper looking for help.

"But it has been hard for us to get down to the social aspects. That's been the difficulty for us.

"A lot people won't come forward and talk. The people who do come forth if you quiz them, they have had personal problems all their lives some of them," Moore said.

Moore said the panel will have to rely on outside research on social ills of gambling.

Paul Jones, executive director of the Christian Action Commission of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, said the panel's purpose is to call "attention to, informing the public of the pervasive problems of gambling."

Jones has acknowledged that jobs have been created and tax revenue brought by the casinos. He argues that lost in the debate are the bankruptcies, the broken homes and compulsive gambling that has increased with the growth of the industry in Mississippi.

Ernest Stebbins, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Association, said economic development and tourism are stories that local government and business officials have to tell the commission.

"They're going to be there because they feel the economic development, the new jobs and growth of the local tax bases have been a tremendous story that they have to share," he said.

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway said his city wants to show the commission how the casinos have brought in money for schools, police and fire departments, created jobs and expanded the coastal tourism.

"I don't know of anybody whose gotten divorced over gaming. I know of people who have gotten into trouble but they were able to get hold of themselves. I have not seen anybody that I personally know that has gone over the edge. I'm not saying that doesn't happen," he said.

Holloway said his city has put money into social service agencies, as have the casinos, to address problem gambling.

"I am not a cheerleader for gaming but I do think we need to look at it from my city's standpoint and from what we have been able to provide taxpayers," he said.

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