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Three cherries appear on the digital LCD screen. The haggard looking 60-year-old woman has been sitting at that slot machine for the last six hours. Two empty bottles of imported beer sit beside her. She's spent a total of 500 dollars and only won fifty. At the end of the night she cashes in her coins and embarks on her journey home, content but still unsatisfied with life.

This woman is a one of many Americans caught in the downward spiral of legalized gambling. Legalized gambling should be prohibited nationwide. Legalized gambling decreases the wholesome and financial atmosphere of a community and increases the likelihood of bankruptcy, crime, and suicide to those who become addicted.

Before I expound upon the statistical research I would like to narrow the view of legalized gambling to what I feel is the most detrimental type of gambling. I deem legalized gambling to be privately owned casinos, slot machines, and tables. Furthermore, this article is directed to casinos that are not built on Native American reservations. This article is also not directed towards national gambling such as Powerball or state lottery's. The research and claims of this article are centralized versus the more general topic of gambling as a whole.

Local Economy

One of the biggest farces about legalized gambling is the belief that it will help the local economy. According to New York State Senator Frank Padavan, "New York, which made $4.75 billion in lottery sales in [2001-2002], targeted just $1.7 million for treatment and education" (1). The state committees and lobbyists will reel you in with promises of better schooling if casinos flourish in your area. They promise that your money will go to helping a better cause than just allowing people to play slots. This illusion has coerced many hardworking Americans into believing that their vote will lead to a more prosperous local economy. Unfortunately, much of that money is never sent to your son or daughters high school for that brand new track they were hoping to run on. In addition to the scattered funds, there is a loss of consumers from local businesses. Senator Padavan also writes "The experience in other states that have legalized gambling has been that casino owners are from out-of-state, typically from Nevada. Meanwhile, local businesses, including for example restaurants, find themselves in direct competition with the casinos" (1) While you might argue that casinos bring new jobs, they also cause a loss in already established

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