Sociologists almost uniformly report that increased gambling activities, which are promoted as sociologically 'acceptable' and which are made 'accessible' to larger numbers of people will increase the number of pathological gamblers

Studies in Australia have verified this drain on the economy by video gambling machines

While gambling addiction can be a social justice reason for some to ban gambling, the economic evidence suggests that the social and economic costs of gambling are $3 to the taxpayers for every $1 in benefits

Therefore 5,000 new video gambling machines costs the economy 5,000 lost jobs each year

The smartest thing legislatures can do is get rid of lotteries and get those dollars buying consumer goods and get the sales tax revenues from that

The lightning spread of 'Western-style' gambling overseas has increased the problems of addicted and problem gamblers, organized crime and alleged corruption in Asia and the Middle East

While advocates of legalized gambling say it brings in revenues needed for education and other uses, it actually has led to higher taxes, loss of jobs, economic disruption of non-gambling businesses, increased crime and higher social-welfare costs