Gambling News by House of Odds

Coins have been dropping for less than a month at Pennsylvania's first slots
parlor, and already, the General Assembly has made the first of what will
certainly be many heartless concessions to the casino cartel, citing
''competition'' from neighboring states. What is this heartless concession,
you ask? Well, now that Gov. Ed Rendell signed the new bill, casinos will be
able to ply their customers with a mind-altering, judgment-impairing drug,
19 hours a day - for free! Yes, the latest turn in Pennsylvania's downward
gambling spiral is the legalization of free alcoholic drinks to slots users.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Sean Logan, D-Allegheny, passed the state
Senate by a vote of 27-22 and the state House by 112-75. This follows a vote
by the state Senate just last month to exempt casinos from smoking bans
enacted by local municipalities. (Thankfully, that measure then failed to
pass the state House.) Some lawmakers said that they wanted to exempt
casinos because they feared that bans on cigarettes would reduce the number
of slots players and thus reduce the amount of revenue. Apparently, there's
no such special concern for the business impact on the myriad of mom-and-pop
taverns and restaurants that are affected by the smoking bans already in
place in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. It's a gambling protection
program at work here. It is equally appalling that one United Way chapter
recruited hundreds of gamblers from among its volunteers for the pre-opening
test-run of the first slot machines at Pocono Downs on the weekend before
opening day, with proceeds promised to compulsive gambling programs. Press
reports said that the local United Way of Wyoming Valley was excited about
the opportunity to thank volunteers in that way. Funding notwithstanding,
it's the United Way agencies that should know that dual and triple
addictions are common, such as alcoholics who are also hooked on gambling
and smoking. It's the social service world that will be forced to handle the
fallout from the new crop of local citizens who become gambling addicts. It
has happened in every other state, including those states our lawmakers say
that we need to ''compete'' with. Imagine, if you will, allowing a car
dealer to offer free booze to a customer while he tries to close the sale
and get the customer to sign on the bottom line. Or a stock broker who leads
an investor into the latest deal after plying him with drinks during a
version of happy hour!

Most people would deem those business practices unthinkable and in fact,
they might create unenforceable contracts. Under Pennsylvania's common law,
a person may avoid contractual obligations if the contract was formed while
he was visibly intoxicated. In other words, they are assumed to be victims
of the deal since they signed the bottom line while their judgment was
impaired by alcohol (or drugs).

Of course, the tragic actions of our General Assembly with regard to casino
gambling didn't start with the vote on free booze. These concessions to the
casinos will become all-too commonplace as one addiction literally feeds
another.

It's a double-minded government that has its state police rightfully warn
the public to ''Click it or Ticket'' to get us to buckle up, especially for
holiday travel and meanwhile seems to abandon its concerns for safety and
well-being of certain citizens when it comes to casinos and the almighty
gambling dollar.

Perhaps our General Assembly and the Gaming Control Board should take a
lesson from another state agency, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. For
years, the PLCB has warned us against drinking and driving with a bumper
sticker that says, ''Impairment begins with the first drink.''