Are You For or Against The BethSandsWorks?

Gambling and the Corruption of Government
Campaign contributions from gambling expansionists and bribery and extortion are destabilizing the American democracy.

Gambling and Crime Among Arrestees.
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice, July, 2007
This report, funded and published by the U.S. Department of Justice studied people who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines, Iowa. They found significant connections between gambling and crime.“More than 30 percent of pathological gamblers who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines reported having committed a robbery within the past year, nearly double the percentage for low-risk gamblers. Nearly one-third admitted that they had committed the robbery to pay for gambling or to pay gambling debts. In addition, about 13 percent said they had assaulted someone to get money.
“Compulsive or pathological gamblers were significantly more likely to have sold drugs than arrestees who fit the other gambling types.” U.S. Dept. of Justice

Measuring Industry Externalities:
The Curious Case of Casinos and Crime
The gambling industry excuses crime increases which parallel the introduction of casinos as being the simple result of increased population. This landmark study by economists Earl Grinols and David Mustard exhaustively reviews the reality of casinos and crime. Most gambling industry studies are done very soon after the opening of casinos and are funded by the industry. This independent academic review is far more extensive in its research, and illustrates the escalating occurrence of crime as local gambling impact “matures.” Casinos and Crime

Beyond the Limits of Recreation:
Social Costs of Gambling in Southern Nevada
This fascinating study of problem and pathological gamblers seeks to estimate the costs to gambling’s host community, arriving at a conservative figure above $19,000. Some of the detail is particularly compelling: When pathological gamblers run out of legitimate sources of money they consider illegal sources. Starting close at hand, they pass bad checks. We found that 63.3% wrote such checks. They also look for money in the workplace. Also, 30.1% admitted to stealing from the workplace in order to gamble or pay gambling debts. This is about the same portion who stole from the workplace in other surveys: 31.7% in Wisconsin, 37.1% in South Carolina, and 40.7% in Connecticut. A majority, 50.6%, of the respondents indicated that they had stolen money or things and used it to gamble or to pay gambling-related debts. Gambling and Crime in Southern Nevada

Examining Police Records to Assess Gambling Impacts:
A Study of Gambling Related Crime in the City of Edmonton
This study provides an exhaustive illustration of the complexity of determining the link between gambling and crime. It is sponsored by the Canadian government and must be considered a gambling industry sponsored study. Though the study dares not to conclude that gambling causes crime, it concludes there is a systemic link between the two. It also illustrates the “symbiotic relationship” which exists between legal and illegal gambling, and supports the observation that legalized gambling does not reduce illegal gambling. Edmonton Crime Study

The Failure to Regulate the Gambling Industry Effectively:
Incentives for Perpetual Non-Compliance
Social and economic costs of legalized gambling, and the difficulty of its regulation are the subjects of this Southern Illinois University Law Review article by John Warren Kindt. The evidence shows that gambling causes addiction, bankruptcy, crime, corruption, and all of the social costs associated with those problems, with little pressure on government or industry to do better.

Crime, Corruption and Gambling








Gambling and the Corruption of Government
Campaign contributions from gambling expansionists and bribery and extortion are destabilizing the American democratic process.

Gambling and Crime Among Arrestees: Exploring the Link
U.S. Department of Justice.

This report, funded and published by the U.S. Department of Justice studied people who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines, Iowa. They found significant connections between gambling and crime.“More than 30 percent of pathological gamblers who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines reported having committed a robbery within the past year, nearly double the percentage for low-risk gamblers. Nearly one-third admitted that they had committed the robbery to pay for gambling or to pay gambling debts. In addition, about 13 percent said they had assaulted someone to get money.
“Compulsive or pathological gamblers were significantly more likely to have sold drugs than arrestees who fit the other gambling types.” U.S. Dept. of Justice

Measuring Industry Externalities:
The Curious Case of Casinos and Crime
The gambling industry excuses crime increases which parallel the introduction of casinos as being the simple result of increased population. This landmark study by economists Earl Grinols and David Mustard exhaustively reviews the reality of casinos and crime. Most gambling industry studies are done very soon after the opening of casinos and are funded by the industry. This independent academic review is far more extensive in its research, and illustrates the escalating occurrence of crime as local gambling impact “matures.” Casinos and Crime

Beyond the Limits of Recreation:
Social Costs of Gambling in Southern Nevada
This fascinating study of problem and pathological gamblers seeks to estimate the costs to gambling’s host community, arriving at a conservative figure above $19,000. Some of the detail is particularly compelling: When pathological gamblers run out of legitimate sources of money they consider illegal sources. Starting close at hand, they pass bad checks. We found that 63.3% wrote such checks. They also look for money in the workplace. Also, 30.1% admitted to stealing from the workplace in order to gamble or pay gambling debts. This is about the same portion who stole from the workplace in other surveys: 31.7% in Wisconsin, 37.1% in South Carolina, and 40.7% in Connecticut. A majority, 50.6%, of the respondents indicated that they had stolen money or things and used it to gamble or to pay gambling-related debts. Gambling and Crime in Southern Nevada

Examining Police Records to Assess Gambling Impacts:
A Study of Gambling Related Crime in the City of Edmonton
This study provides an exhaustive illustration of the complexity of determining the link between gambling and crime. It is sponsored by the Canadian government and must be considered a gambling industry sponsored study. Though the study dares not to conclude that gambling causes crime, it concludes there is a systemic link between the two. It also illustrates the “symbiotic relationship” which exists between legal and illegal gambling, and supports the observation that legalized gambling does not reduce illegal gambling. Edmonton Crime Study

The Failure to Regulate the Gambling Industry Effectively:
Incentives for Perpetual Non-Compliance
Social and economic costs of legalized gambling, and the difficulty of its regulation are the subjects of this Southern Illinois University Law Review article by John Warren Kindt. The evidence shows that gambling causes addiction, bankruptcy, crime, corruption, and all of the social costs associated with those problems, with little pressure on government or industry to do better.

"If legalized casino gambling is to become this administration's legacy, be assured it will not be a legacy of wealth and prosperity. The casino will see to that. Rather, future generations will have inherited a government ridden with strife and beholden to powerful gambling interests who will call the shots and the slots."

"The gambling octopus can never be satisfied. Never!
The record is clear. The gambling addict begs, borrows and steals to feed his addiction. The only winners are the slot owners. Pushing your agenda for casino gambling is not economic development. The state will not achieve any new wealth; it will only inherit the wind. Pawn shops, gambling's parasite, will be one of the few industries to benefit from slots."

You will see , what you did.
Bethlehem is doomed.

Crime will inherit Bethlehem.

Traffic will be a nightmare.
Biggest mistake Bethlehem ever made.

I heard that KidsPeace supports the BethSandsWorks.

Who ever would have thought this , our forefathers are turning in their grave.

Isn't it something as of 5-18-08 76% of the people polled said they did not want the casino here , and here it is ?
So much for a democracy!

Vote out the mayor and Bethlehem city council and start a petition to get rid of this casino before it starts up.
We have one year to do something.

This might be the biggest mistake ever made by the city.
I can see the traffic nightmare and the crime skyrocketing.
Poor Hellertown will get all the backlash from this blight.

That place looks like crap , they built it right next to the minsi trail bridge !
I hope it gets crowded and no one goes there.

There have been countless examples of how the casino industry uses their influence to pass legislation. However, the buck doesn’t stop there as we have all heard the stories of politician’s involvement in dirty politics concerning gambling.

At one point city administrators had a press conference.

And they noted that it's office said they had spent the better part of $1.3 million they withdrew from a Florida bank to cover their losses from one “bad night” in Vegas.“It sets a bad example and it creates a bad image for our state,” he said of Mr.********* gambling.

Apparently the Governor must have changed his mind regarding the image gambling creates. Not only was it reported that he has been influencing the legislative process to get this bill through in the most underhanded means, there are now allegations of possible criminal activities in an effort to ram through the Governors casino gambling amendment. The Senate President alleges that democratic house leaders are looking to offer political favors, which essentially amount to bribery and extortion, in exchange for votes on the amendment.

The Senate President says he’s sure democratic house leaders are promising lawmakers projects in their districts or passage of pet pieces of legislation if they’ll vote for a casino bill.

They believes house leaders are using the budget process to essentially bribe legislators to vote for casinos. Senators didn’t offer any proof or specifics of projects for casino votes. Representatives say there’s no horse trading for votes on the casino bill, which is still far short of the votes needed for passage.

But the house budget committee chairman admits lawmakers who agree to vote for tax increases or new revenue will be the first to get funding for projects in their districts.

I guess this is the face of politics that we should get used to when gambling issues are involved. I applaud those in Pennsylvania who are willing to take a stand for what is right and try to oppose these dirty political and possible criminal tricks.

Archives July 2008

Its here too!

The Sands is suppose to give the city of Bethlehem $9.1 million dollars a year once its up and running , that's a lot of money they expect to take in if that's what they are giving out !

You are not going to win there , that's for sure , just burn your money now and stay away from there!
One big disease brought on by the city.

Now they say the slots parlor is using out of town cement instead of local company's , uh huh here we go , the Las Vegas Mob is in full swing in Bethlehem , they have their foot in the door.

I hope all you who voted for it are happy?

watcher wrote:

Now they say the slots parlor is using out of town cement instead of local company's , uh huh here we go , the Las Vegas Mob is in full swing in Bethlehem , they have their foot in the door.
I hope all you who voted for it are happy?

I'm not happy , are you happy !

They can build a casino in Bethlehem , and a ballpark in Allentown , but they can't throw a little money toward Mack truck in Allentown to keep them going?

The more I think about that casino the more I hate it!

I'm sort of undecided. It could bring in lots of money and do lots of good but more likely will be a burden on the city and bring in people I'd rather not know.