In Maryland, we are doing everything in our power to instill that same philosophy in our children and give them the right start. Within five years of allowing casinos, Deadwood, with a population of 1,800, had 82 casinos. Crimes of theft, embezzlement, bad checks and other larceny increased dramatically in only two years. In Black Hawk, the year before casinos, the police received 25 calls a year, now the police receive between 15,000 and 20,000 calls a year. In Red Wing, police calls jumped by 100 a month for three consecutive years after a casino opened there.
Compulsive gamblers bet until they have nothing left.
Then they borrow until, finally, they turn to crime. An insurance company study found that 40 percent of white collar crime can be traced to gambling. Child abuse and neglect also increase with the introduction of a casino into a community. Officials from these communities tell heart-wrenching stories of children left to fend for themselves while their parents gambled. In Deadwood, child protection calls increased 67 percent in the first year after casinos opened.