Editorial: Sparks fly on gaming 'timeout'

Recent meetings of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission had been relatively subdued, some might even say genteel. But that civility evaporated last week when the commission started drafting its recommendations to Congress. The commission was divided sharply over the proposal -- approved 5-4 -- that recommended "some policymakers may wish to impose an explicit moratorium on gambling expansion while awaiting further research and assessment."

The three commissioners closely aligned with the casino industry -- MGM Chairman Terry Lanni, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union President John Wilhelm and former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Bill Bible -- voted against the recommendation. It is not surprising that casino executives and union leaders would oppose any reference to a moratorium, but the actual language adopted by the commission isn't as frightening as some have contended. The commission's proposal doesn't recommend that Congress impose a nationwide moratorium -- gambling's almost universal popularity would preclude such a Draconian measure. Even Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, told the Washington Post the commission's recommendation made sense.

What is clear is that unlike Nevada, which is viewed as a national leader when it comes to the strict regulation of gambling, regulation in other jurisdictions often has been inadequate. The real problem, as members of the commission have said before, is that gambling elsewhere in the country has received little, if any, scrutiny. A separate national commission is supposed to regulate gaming on tribal lands, but the fact is Indian gaming is virtually unregulated. The commission also has expressed its belief that the wide-open world of Internet gambling should be regulated. In addition, state lotteries have been allowed to proliferate without anyone seriously examining any adverse impact this type of gambling has had.

A moratorium isn't needed, but it does seem reasonable that policymakers across the nation should pause and examine the side effects gambling may have on society. Las Vegas' vibrant economy certainly can attest to gambling's benefits, but Americans shouldn't reflexively put on blinders when viewing all the aspects -- both positive and negative -- of gambling.

archive