The gambling addiction issue has lain somewhat dormant during these past months' intense casino debate. Boiling lightly beneath the surface has been the "no proof that casinos cause addiction" meme.

House Hears From Gambling Addiction Experts

The "no proof" meme was laid to completely rest yesterday at hearings before the community impacts subcommittee of the House special joint SB152 committee. Here is the Nashua Telegraph's story on these hearings.

Dr. Rachel Volberg, the world's most widely published gambling addiction expert, presented the most current data from her 2012 meta-analysis of all 202 gambling addiction studies worldwide conducted since 1975. These findings disappoint both pro- and anti-casino advocates, but the findings are abundantly clear: 

• Video slot machines are far more addictive that any form of gambling now available here in NH. "Research clearly concludes that slot machine use generates the highest number of gambling addicts."
• Proximity matters. Massachusetts casinos will cause harm, but far less than would a New Hampshire casino. As Dr. Volberg testified, those living within ten miles of casino are nearly twice as likely to become addicted as those living farther away.
• Populations tend to "adapt"to exposure to nearby slot machine casinos over time as gambling addicts, age out, go bankrupt, commit suicide, or bottom out and recover via addiction treatment. 

Mell Brooks of Littleton, who once owned and operated a small video gambling venue in Oregon, put a human face on the stats. "It's one thing to hear about an accident and another to witness an accident. It's one thing to hear about the Boston bombings and another thing to have been on the finish line," Brooks said. "I've felt the explosion; I've seen it with my own eyes. We don't want this here."

60 Minutes Story on Gambling Addiction

Take 13 minutes and watch this great 60 Minutes investigative piece on slot machine addiction, featuring a number of nationally-recognized addiction experts and former PA Governor Ed Rendell lashing out in anger at being asked about gambling addiction and calling Lesley Stahl a "simpleton" and an "idiot."

Australian Government Productivity Commission Gambling Study

Slot machines and casinos proliferated nationwide in Australia during the 1990s. Drawing from this experience, the Australian Government Productivity Commission (similar in function to the US Government Accountability Office) released the most voluminous and well-researched gambling impacts study in recent times for any nation in its 2010 report entitled simply "Gambling."

I'll cite here only two conclusions found in this several hundred page report:

2.  Problem and addicted gamblers are the source of about 60 percent of slot machine tax revenues.

Verbatim from the report (page 5.1): "[I]t is estimated that problem gamblers account for 22 to 60 per cent of total gaming machine spending (average of 41). The likely range for moderate risk and problem gamblers together is 42 to 75 per cent." (emphasis added).

Ponder ... and have a great weekend!

Jim Rubens

Chair