Few pieces of legislation could have as a profound effect on individual families and local jurisdictions as the Casino Gambling bill currently working its way through the maze of government bureaucracy in Albany.It is a complex issue, the many facets of which cannot be adequately described in a short article. However, the likely effects of the enactment of this legislation will have a direct, unmistakable impact on families, local law enforcement agencies and the courts.
It all comes down to a question of economy. To a financially strapped community, the promise of a casino creating hundreds of jobs and pouring millions of tax dollars into depleted coffers is very appealing indeed. That is the promise. Unfortunately, that is not always the reality.
We have only to look at the experience of our neighbor to the south to witness what really happens when casinos are given free license to move in and essentially control a community. It has been 14 years since the State of New Jersey legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City. Those who fought for this privilege painted pictures of the revitalization of the once-glorious ocean resort city, with jobs for everyone and tourists spilling out of the casinos and into the local shops and eateries.
Let's look at Atlantic City today:
The unemployment rate is between 14 and 15 percent, one of the highest in the country. Despite initial promises that local residents would be given jobs in Atlantic City casinos, the industry found ways around the residency requirements and only 23.5 percent of casino employees are residents of Atlantic City.
At the same time, the casino industry has had a devastating impact on other local industries in Atlantic City. In fact, between 1977 and 1990, the number of manufacturing jobs in the city dropped by 82 percent.
Atlantic City has failed to reap the tax revenue benefits once envisioned. Only 5 percent of the tax revenues go to the local government while 36 percent go to the federal government and 59 percent go to the State of New Jersey. And the 5 percent the city does earn is more than erased by skyrocketing expenditures for police services and court costs associated with casino-related crime and domestic disputes.
Instead of providing new customers for local businesses, the casinos have effectively shut down tourist traffic outside their doors by offering full-service operations including hotels, restaurants and gift shops. In 1977, Atlantic City had 243 restaurants. Today, there are only 146. And the number of retail stores has dropped by more than a third since the casinos opened. Today, non-gambling visitors are discouraged from visiting the city due to traffic delays, parking shortages and increased crime. Those startling statistics are not unique to Atlantic City. Dozens of other communities where casino gambling is allowed have experienced similar difficulties. Independent studies have shown that in gambling communities, for every dollar in tax revenue, between $1.10 and $10 is expended in social costs related to public safety.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce does not oppose casino gambling on a moral ground. We fully recognize that gambling in the form of horse racing is a cherished way of life in our community. Our year-round harness racing and August thoroughbred meet are social events throughout the year for thousands of people. But the giant leap between betting on a horse and betting against the house...between a racing window and a slot machine...is one that could destroy a community and the lives of families for miles around.
Don't be fooled into thinking about the busloads of tourists arriving on our doorsteps to spend their money. In almost every casino community in the country, the majority of clientele are local citizens. The same will take place should casinos be allowed to open in the Catskills and Niagara Falls region. And it will be the police departments of these local communities that will respond to the calls about domestic disputes as these families face the scenario of money left inside casino doors.
Many residents of Saratoga County remember the days of the casinos back in the 1940s and 50s. They remember the corruption, the assault on family relationships, and the deterioration of community standards.
Sadly, there is no quick fix, no panacea for the economic woes of many of the towns and villages in New York State. To quote Professor William Eadington of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada: þIn place after place, the casino-based economy soars, then slumps into a black hole.þ
Saratoga remembers what that black hole looks like. We cannot stand by and allow it to happen again.
(Editor's note: The author is president of the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce.)