To: The New York State House, The New York State Senate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo
NYS Legislators: Say NO to Constitutional Amendment permitting commercial casinos
Vote NO on the proposed amendment to Article 1, Section 9 of the New York State Constitution, authorizing commercial casinos in New York State, when it comes again before the Legislature.
Why is this important?
Casino gambling is NOT a harmless way to raise state revenue.
Here's the experience of one gambler now in recovery.
"I lost just about everything because of my addiction to gambling. I nearly lost my life.
I was in my late 40s and had never gambled before. I had a good job, a happy marriage, and close relationships with my grandchildren. When a Native American casino opened in Niagara Falls, NY, near my home, I went with a friend, just for fun—an evening of entertainment. But I quickly became addicted. Casino gambling began to consume my life.
I was one of the lucky few. I finally managed to emerge on the other side after years of compulsive gambling, depression, bankruptcy, estrangement from family, my own suicide attempt, and the actual suicide of a friend who owed $2000 to the casino and was being hounded by threats of legal action and jail.
It has now been 15 months since I’ve placed a bet. I'm putting my life back in order, trying to heal the tremendous damage I did to my family and myself.
This story wouldn’t matter to you and other NY State residents if it were rare, the exception to the rule. But actually "problem" or addicted gamblers like me provide a major percentage of the profits of gambling casinos—statistics range from 30-70%. Whatever lip service casino owners pay to promoting "responsible gaming," they make huge profits from people who gamble more than they can afford, whose lives are devastated by gambling addiction. Not only is this an ethically questionable way to raise state revenue, but there is a high economic cost to problem gambling and addiction—crime (embezzlement, fraud, etc.), business failures, bankruptcy, loss of economic productivity, addiction treatment, divorce, etc.
I don't buy the argument that we won't create new gamblers by creating new casinos—that we'll just "capture" the gamblers who would otherwise cross state lines to gamble anyway. My own experience is that the proximity of a casino makes it far easier to start gambling and to develop and maintain a compulsive gambling habit. Research bears out this common sense observation.
We need to recognize that much of the profit from gambling casinos depends on addiction, debt and impoverishment. Isn’t this what the State should be trying to prevent, not to promote for its citizens? " Birgit C.
Letter provided through the Coalition Against Gambling in New York (CAGNY) (www.cagnyinf.org)
Here's the experience of one gambler now in recovery.
"I lost just about everything because of my addiction to gambling. I nearly lost my life.
I was in my late 40s and had never gambled before. I had a good job, a happy marriage, and close relationships with my grandchildren. When a Native American casino opened in Niagara Falls, NY, near my home, I went with a friend, just for fun—an evening of entertainment. But I quickly became addicted. Casino gambling began to consume my life.
I was one of the lucky few. I finally managed to emerge on the other side after years of compulsive gambling, depression, bankruptcy, estrangement from family, my own suicide attempt, and the actual suicide of a friend who owed $2000 to the casino and was being hounded by threats of legal action and jail.
It has now been 15 months since I’ve placed a bet. I'm putting my life back in order, trying to heal the tremendous damage I did to my family and myself.
This story wouldn’t matter to you and other NY State residents if it were rare, the exception to the rule. But actually "problem" or addicted gamblers like me provide a major percentage of the profits of gambling casinos—statistics range from 30-70%. Whatever lip service casino owners pay to promoting "responsible gaming," they make huge profits from people who gamble more than they can afford, whose lives are devastated by gambling addiction. Not only is this an ethically questionable way to raise state revenue, but there is a high economic cost to problem gambling and addiction—crime (embezzlement, fraud, etc.), business failures, bankruptcy, loss of economic productivity, addiction treatment, divorce, etc.
I don't buy the argument that we won't create new gamblers by creating new casinos—that we'll just "capture" the gamblers who would otherwise cross state lines to gamble anyway. My own experience is that the proximity of a casino makes it far easier to start gambling and to develop and maintain a compulsive gambling habit. Research bears out this common sense observation.
We need to recognize that much of the profit from gambling casinos depends on addiction, debt and impoverishment. Isn’t this what the State should be trying to prevent, not to promote for its citizens? " Birgit C.
Letter provided through the Coalition Against Gambling in New York (CAGNY) (www.cagnyinf.org)