Like all public officials who are fighting to improve the health and safety of children, I am alarmed by the explosive growth of casino gambling in the United States. Study after study confirms the devastation inflicted on families in communities after a casino opens nearby.
Casinos bring increased crime, including child abuse and neglect as well as domestic abuse.
Families of compulsive gamblers, estimated to be anywhere from 1.5 percent to 6.5 percent of the population, suffer as their household income is gambled away. And most tragically for those families, compulsive gamblers often see suicide as their only option. Another dismaying result of the proliferation of gambling activities is the rise in teenage gambling. Experts warn that gambling is the fastest-growing addiction in teenagers. The National Council on Problem Gambling reports that children as young as 11 or 12 are seeking professional help for gambling addiction.