Editorial: Pa. must prepare now for gambling s downside Those weren t sugarplums dancing in the heads of the patrons filing into Philadelphia Park on Tuesday. It was a little more materialistic than that.
It was cold, hard cash. Welcome to the era of legalized slot-machine gambling. At Philadelphia Park, those interested in placing a wager on the ponies are now being joined by legions lured by the thrill of what are not totally inaccurately described as one-armed bandits.
There are 2,200 brand-spanking new slot machines at the newest gambling mecca. The home of Smarty Jones is now the home of those "jonesing" for some action in the form of slot-machine gambling. Philadelphia Park joins Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, which opened its slots parlor last month.
Next month a similar operation will usher in a new era of expanded, state-sanctioned gambling right here in Delaware County when Harrah s Chester Casino and Racetrack opens a slots parlor at its sprawling facility on the city s waterfront. Today, the state Gaming Control Board will issue licenses for two free-standing slots parlors in Philadelphia, one in Pittsburgh, and two for the rest of the state. Included among the locations is a site on the outskirts of the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg.
As you might guess, historians are not exactly thrilled at that possibility. It remains to be seen how historians will judge this massive expansion in gaming, all with the imprimatur of the commonwealth. The problem stems from how we finance public education in the state, which for too long now has leaned heavily on the property tax.
In the process we have taxed homeowners, senior citizens and those on fixed incomes to the point of possibly having to give up their homes. The cure, clearly, was a new revenue stream. Enter Gov.
Ed Rendell and his vision of slot machines, with much of the revenue targeting easing the burden of property taxes. The issue has been debated at length. There is disagreement about how much revenue the slot machines actually will raise, and how much can be delivered to those fairly begging for tax reform.
What is not being debated - and also not being talked about all that much - is that this huge foray into more gambling will have its downside. People will gamble who should not. Families will be devastated.
Fortunes, or at least some life savings, will be wiped out. Which is why something that popped up recently should be raising red flags, in Harrisburg and around the state where gamblers will now be free to "roll the dice." While throwing open the doors to these gleaming gambling emporiums, the state has not been nearly as aggressive in putting addiction programs in place to handle the expected uptick among those who need treatment in dealing with their habits.
That word comes from Gene Boyle, who directs the state Health Department s Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs. He pointed out, among other things, that the state has yet to set up a compulsive gambling hot line or the needed funding mechanism for gambling addiction treatment services. Make no mistake.
There are going to be losers in this great experiment. Big losers. You can bet on it.
Besides, there is little point in seeing gambling dollars continue to bleed out of just about every border, to New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia. At the same time, the state would do wise to be sure those devastated by slot machines are not cast aside. There will be a downside to the slot-machine era.
What are the odds that there will be a financial, social and mental price tag for all this? It s pretty much a lock. We need to put the measures in place to help those so affected - now, at the same time we re throwing open the doors and asking the public to place their bets.
Public health and welfare isn t something we should be betting on.
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