The money was spent on new police cruisers, fire trucks, road and utility improvements, shops and a visitors bureau. Academic and other studies have come up with varying results. One recent study, commissioned by the Indiana Gaming Commission, said the casinos have provided jobs in areas of northwest Indiana and along the Ohio River, where economic opportunities were scarce. The report, by Indiana University's Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, also said tax revenue and incentives have helped cities rebuild crumbling infrastructure, which also provides economic benefits. But with the first Indiana riverboat casinos only 5 years old, the report stated, it is impossible to determine yet whether the benefits outweigh the social costs.
Some observers worry about the sheer amount of gambling going on across the nation.
David Nibert, Wittenberg University sociology teacher and activist, says big-time gambling operations differ from neighborhood bingo or raffles. Lottery revenue in Ohio totals 3.6 percent of the state revenue. The Mackinac Center's Reed agrees that governments are using gambling dollars to avoid making tough decisions, but he sees the result differently. When cities like that open their doors to gambling, they can avoid bringing their taxes into line and streamlining their bureaucracies. They see the casino money as a stream of new revenue, and they don't do the things to really revive their economies.