Gambling
by Focus on the Family Issue Analysts
Gambling is a vice industry built on deception and fed by the intentional exploitation of human weakness for the sole purpose of monetary gain.
Today's video gambling machines (modern slots) are designed to be the most addictive form of gambling ever developed. Addiction counselors and psychologists are calling video gambling the "crack cocaine" of the gambling industry. People are becoming addicted to these machines within a year. 1
Increased accessibility and availability of gambling throughout our nation is also to blame for the increase in problem and pathological addictions. 2Nearly a decade ago, a federal research committee estimated that there were about 15 million problem and pathological gamblers in the U.S. alone – 7.9 million were underage children 3
Gambling Defined
Gambling is defined by a combination of three components:
- Consideration – something of value placed as a "wager" or bet
- Chance – the element of risk
- Award – a prize, usually money or an item of value
Gambling in the United States
Gambling has been legalized in 48 states, with the two exceptions being Hawaii and Utah. Approximately 33 percent of the American population does not gamble. Another 46 percent gambles at casinos, while the remaining 21 percent choose other forms of gambling.
About 50-60 percent of the population can be classified as "light bettors." Another 10 percent represent "heavy bettors," 4who account for nearly 61 percent of all table and slot casino revenues. 5Heavy gamblers tend to exhibit more problem and pathological gambling addictions.
In 2006, with all forms of gambling combined, nearly $91 billion was taken in the form of gamblers' losses or in gross annual revenues for gambling operations; this number does not include $6 billion sent out of the U.S. in illegal Internet gambling. 6
The five largest gambling sectors include:
- Commercial casinos (36% of total revenue)
- Tribal/Indian casinos (26%)
- Lotteries (26%)
- Illegal off-shore Internet gambling (6%)
- Pari-mutuel wagering – dog/horse racing (4%) 7
According to the American Gaming Association's 2008 State of the States report, about 54.5 million people visited U.S. casinos in 2007 (25 percent of the adult population, 21 years of age and older). 8
Gambling Saturation (2007 Data)
| Sector |
Operations |
States |
Gambler Losses |
| Commercial Casinos 9 |
467 |
12 |
$34.1 Billion |
| Tribal/Indian Casinos 10 |
425 |
28 |
$26.5 Billion (230 gambling tribes) |
| Lottery (State-owned) 11 |
42/DC |
42/DC |
$17.1 Billion ($57.4 billion sales) |
| Race Track Casinos 12 |
41 |
11 |
$5.3 Billion |
Gambling Trends
Poker participation and its short growth phase, based largely on the formation of the World Poker Tour and televised poker tournaments, peaked in 2004 and 2005. But it appeared to experience a 33 percent decline in popularity in 2007 (from the peak years) with only 13 percent of adults gambling on poker during the year.
Race track casino operations – hybrids of casinos, lotteries and pari-mutuel facilities – are becoming increasingly popular with states even though the National Gambling Impact Study Commission advised against allowing casino-style gambling at race tracks:
Recommendation 3.12 - "The Commission recommends that states should refuse to allow the introduction of casino-style gambling into pari-mutuel facilities for the primary purpose of saving a pari-mutuel facility that the market has determined no longer serves the community or for the purpose of competing with other forms of gambling." 13
Racino States with video lottery terminals include Delaware, NewYork, Rhode Island and West Virginia 14Racino States with casino slots include Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
Copyright © 2008 Focus on the Family.