Baltimore Sun

In “Numbers Game” (June 22), Laura Smitherman did an admirable job depicting the frustration that comes with trying to find the facts when faced with dueling ledger sheets promoted by opposing sides on the slots question.

Perhaps the title of the article says it best: Numbers can be “gamed.”

But there is a way the public can check this information - by listening to the elected officials, civic leaders and business men and women who live with gaming on a daily basis.

For instance, James Goldman, president of the Harrison County Commission in Indiana, noted this year, “We bring in more revenue from [gaming] than the rest of our budget. … We’re paying for three ambulance stations around the county. … All 10 volunteer fire departments have new equipment. And it’s helped with economic development.”

And Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has said, “The casinos are an enormous taxpayer, both to the state and locally. They are a very important part of these communities’ fiscal health.”

Our industry stands behind the numbers that show the benefits of gaming. But the power of the numbers pales when compared with the testimonials of the people who live and work in gaming states and communities.

Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr.
President and CEO, American Gaming Association
Washington, DC