Cleveland Plain Dealer

Dear Editor:

You recent series on the introduction of gambling in Ohio provided readers with a wealth of valuable information on the gaming industry and problem gambling. Unfortunately, the series also included outdated information that has long been discredited as well as anti-gambling activist claims that have no factual basis.

If these ant-gambling claims were true, states with commercial casinos would be centers of depravity instead of home to successful communities that see casinos as valuable community partners. From Biloxi, Miss. and Shreveport, La. to Davenport, Iowa and Kansas City, Mo., countless first-hand accounts from residents repeatedly affirm casinos as valuable community partners and true assets to the region. In fact, surveys show that a significant majority (64 percent) of residents in casino communities say they have a positive impact in their area.

Even as gaming has expanded in the U.S., it is settled science the prevalence rate of pathological gambling hasn’t changed in more than 30 years, holding steady at 1 percent of all adult Americans.

Nonetheless, our industry takes problem gambling seriously. We have implemented responsible gaming programs at casinos across the country and contributed millions of dollars to fund independent, peer-reviewed research on disordered gambling. We don’t want problem gamblers at our casinos – period.

Sincerely,

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