The City’s Road to Ruin

Today is a dark day. While memorial services are being held at Fort Hood, St. Louis is “celebrating” the opening of River City Casino Boulevard, a $23.8 million roadway paid for by Pinnacle Entertainment which will lead to the new $380 million casino development slated to open next spring.  (http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/11/09/daily14.html) Casino owner, Pinnacle, has paved the way for more family and economic devastation as local officials gloat over the economic impact of the road project. There is an interesting irony with this opening when, on its eve, Pinnacle CEO Daniel Lee resigned after publicly threatening a St. Louis County councilman. (A Missouri Gaming Commission investigation is underway as to the nature of those threats. http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/11/09/daily1.html?surround=lfn) I suppose Pinnacle is jealous over its St. Louis riverfront monopoly.  St. Louis is on the road to becoming another Atlantic City and perhaps even surpassing its per capita casino count. “Casino wars” may also become part of the ongoing saga as River City Casino and the potential Riverview casino battle for St. Louis headlines. Look how we are investing our dollars, time, and energy! The casino industry is dominating the business and news headlines as they battle for dominating the St. Louis market–and using billions in gambling losses to pay for it all.  Is it really worth the cost–economically and socially? Is St. Louis on the road to ruin?  Indeed it is a dark day.

National Gambling Task Force Focuses On College Students

Alcohol and drug abuse is one of the main concerns for parents when they send their children off to college. A national task force, however, is warning these parents and the rest of the country that gambling should be treated in the same preventative manner as alcohol and drugs.
Gambling options have increased drastically over the past couple of years for college student. The game of poker has become somewhat of a college phenomenon, and casinos are popping up in almost every state in the US.

Click on link below and read the rest of the article:

http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/casino-gambling/national_gambling_task_force_focuses_on_college_students_54547.html

Gambling By the Numbers

Number of casinos:

• 1998 – 450 commercial casinos, 160 American Indian casinos
• 2008 –  445 commercial casinos, 423 American Indian casinos

Legal gambling revenue:

• 1998 – $27 billion
• 2008 – $95 billion

Revenue from illegal gambling is estimated to be higher.

Estimated social cost of gambling (thefts, job loss, bankruptcy, court costs) in 2008 – $6.7 billion

Of adults who gamble:

• 2-3 percent are problem or pathological gamblers
• 15 percent gamble at least once a week
• 30 percent have gambled at least once in the past month
• 65 percent have gambled at least once in the past year
• 85 percent have gambled at least once in their lives

States with a problem-gambling fund:

• 2001 – 13
• 2008 – 34

Amount of money per capita set aside for problem gambling funds:

• From less than 1 cent to $1.65

Sources: American Gaming Association, National Council on Problem Gambling

Missouri, Don’t Let this Happen to You

Our Addiction To Gambling

by Lee Prokaska The Hamilton Spectator (Sep 18, 2009)

The figures on gambling in Ontario are astounding and disturbing:

* Revenue from all forms of legalized gambling in the province was about $6.1 billion in the 2007 fiscal year.
* Each day, on average, nearly $10 million is gambled in Ontario casino and slot machine facilities, with another $7.3 million being spent each day on lotteries and bingo.
* Gambling accounted for almost 2 per cent of Ontario’s government revenue last year.

Our province is addicted to gambling revenue… (click link to read entire story)

http://www.thespec.com/Opinions/article/637023

Underage gamblers get in casinos because Missourians passed casino-supported Prop A last November

Casinos face fines over rash of underage gamblers – STLtoday.com

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MO Legislators may resurrect Bingo Bill

After Governor Nixon’s veto last July, there is a possibility that the State House may consider an override for HB 620/671 during the veto session beginning today.  Do not be lulled into thinking that this bill is simply about relaxing requirements for organizations that use bingo as a fund raising tool.  This bill is all about gambling expansion and could possibly open the door for proliferation of bingo-themed slot machines across the state. Your state representative and senator need to hear from you: Let the governor’s veto of HB 620/671 stand. Here is a link to the bill and the governor’s veto letter:

http://house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills091/bills/hb620.htm

http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills091/rpt/HB620vl.pdf

STL Co. Planning Commission Approves Casino Plan

I thought “planning commissions” were supposed to think ahead.  This is a dumb idea and the community obviously does not want it:  the wrong thing on the wrong place at the wrong time.  The proposed Spanish Lake Casino is just wrong.

Spanish Lake casino plan clears first hurdle

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH  09/15/2009

The St. Louis County Planning Commission on Monday unanimously backed a casino and entertainment complex along the Mississippi River in Spanish Lake…(link to full story)

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/A3DED2CFDEC7B7BE86257632000A130F?OpenDocument

Government is just as unresponsive at home as it is in D.C.

St. Louis County Smoking Ban and Gambling Expansion

The proposed smoking ban in St. Louis County will be a vote to expand gambling in the area. Exempting casinos from the ban takes even more money from the community as well as the ability to compete, and empowers casinos with both. No matter how you feel about the health issues involved (and they are major issues), the business discrimination that takes place with the unfair advantage for the casinos adds up to more casino patrons and more gambling. The public interest is NOT served, and in fact, all the moral implications of this discriminating ban violate the public trust and the councilman’s oath of office. We call on the County Council and County Executive to shut down this immoral proposal and show some political backbone without passing the buck to the voters and the bucks to the casinos.

Riverview CasiNO

Riverview Casino Wrong for St. Louis

Wrong for our economy

Statistics show that they take more than they give. The promised new jobs and tax revenue will suck the life out of the community. Pawn shops and payday loans will replace the economic landscape. Casinos cost MUCH more than they pay. With six casinos in the St. Louis area and one on the way, enough is enough.

Wrong for our environment

Listen to the experts. This location will negatively impact waterways and fowl. Also, if casinos win the smoking ban exemption, they will become the least healthy places in town.

Wrong for families

What good does gambling teach our kids?

Wrong for education

Let’s tell the school kids that grandma lost her shirt so the teachers could get a raise. Let’s teach them how to throw away their hard earned paychecks. (Remember: The house always wins–that’s why they are in business.)

Wrong for moral values

It’s moral to give to your neighbor, not to take from him. “Gaming” is a misnomer–there’s a huge difference in playing the odds for fun and playing for keeps. Greed is no virtue. Now that the limits are gone, the moral climate has coarsened. (Just ask the employees and diners.)

The only thing right about casinos is the list of what’s wrong! Let’s don’t add to the problems. For the good of the community, the county must say no to another casino.

Yet Another Casino in St. Louis!?!

The St. Louis County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Aug. 10 on a proposal for a casino complex on 376.82 acres along Riverview Drive in north St. Louis County. This is madness!  Read the entire story:

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/political-fix/2009/07/st-louis-county-planning-commission-to-hold-hearing-on-north-county-casino/

The St. Louis Christian community needs to unite against this immoral, illogical, and economically irresponsible move.