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Washington mega-casino proposed
The Washington
State Council on Problem
Gambling estimates 5% of
Washington adults are or have been problem gamblers and 8.4% of
the state's teenagers either are now or are "at risk of becoming
problem gamblers."
In Our View - 'I Hate Gambling' Sunday, July 9, 2006 Columbian editorial writers The debate about the Cowlitz tribe's proposed mega-casino near La Center tends to get all wrapped up in Northwest Indian history and on the potential impact on the economy, politics, highways, sewers, schools and on the natural environment, As a result, the spotlight sometimes passes over a less-visible issue. Gov. Chris Gregoire put the spotlight on that issue during a trip to Vancouver on Thursday. "I hate gambling," she told The Columbian Editorial Board. "It's evil. We now have a problem in this state with gaming addiction." Indeed. And the problem in Southwest Washington could easily get worse with the operation of a huge new casino here, with its hundreds of noisy, colorful slot machines, craps and blackjack tables, roulette wheels and video poker games. Think of it. Along with such man-made Washington icons as the Space Needle, Grand Coulee Dam and the state ferries would be Clark County's entry: A temple along Interstate 5 for the development and encouragement of gambling addicts, one that tears at the fabric of family life while it fosters bankruptcy, unemployment, welfare caseloads and lost earning potential. Get on an Internet search engine such as Google and type in "problem gambling," which describes a full range of human gambling issues. You'll have dozens and dozens of Web pages to choose from, including a help-type organization in most of the states. The Washington State Council on Problem Gambling's Web address is www.wscpg.org. Its national counterpart is www.ncp gambling.org. The state organization estimates 5 percent of Washington adults are or have been problem gamblers and 8.4 percent of the state's teenagers either are now or are "at risk of becoming problem gamblers." You might want to check the Connecticut council's Web page at www.ccpg.org. That's the state with two of the largest casinos in the nation. The Mohegan tribe, which is a partner with the Cowlitz in the Casino proposal here, operates one of them. This Web page describes different levels of problem gambling, from mild to severe, with "the terms 'compulsive', 'pathological' and 'addictive' gambling all (referring) to a serious mental disorder characterized by out of control gambling resulting in severe negative personal, family, financial, work and/or legal consequences." The Mohegans help finance the CCPG, just as casinos here pay to help run a comprehensive Washington program, launched in 2005, to combat problem gambling. Maybe the payments help casino operators sleep better at night and look in the mirror in the morning. http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/07092006news41863.cfm |
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