A Colorado gambling expansion opponent says educational institutions in his state have already fallen for the "gambling candy man," but he's hopeful that Coloradans will reject Amendment 50.
Although gambling is already legal in parts of Colorado, residents in that state will be voting on Amendment 50 tomorrow (Tuesday). That amendment seeks to raise the maximum bet from $5 to $100, a 20-fold increase. Proponents of the expansion say it will bring in more money for community colleges. But Chad Hills, analyst for gambling research and policy at Focus on the Family Action, says the negatives far outweigh the alleged benefits. One of the negatives he highlights is addicted gamblers. "For every dollar earned in state revenue, you're spending about three dollars in social costs -- largely because when somebody becomes addicted they lose everything, including their families, their reputation, their integrity, their character, their money...," he shares. "[G]ambling turns normal people into desperate criminals when they hit rock bottom." According to Hills, research shows that one in five pathological gamblers commits suicide -- a suicide rate Hills says is higher than many other addictions. He says gambling proponents tend to hide the negatives of gaming by chocolate-coating the bitter pill of gambling expansion with educational finance. Besides expanding the maximum bet 20-fold, Hills says Amendment 50 also would allow casinos to operate 24 hours per day, add roulette and craps, and lower the tax percentage levied at casinos from 40 percent to 20 percent.
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