Gov. Patrick's casino plan stirs debate

Gov. Deval Patrick's recent plan to license three resort casinos in Massachusetts, along with the expected Mashpee Wampanoag casino in southern Massachusetts, has sparked a statewide debate about the ethics of gambling. Opinions on the issue span two extremes: allowing it without restriction or entirely prohibiting it - and fall everywhere in between. All involved believe they have the better hand, and no one is ready to fold. This should come as no surprise, since gambling is an issue with countless variables and a multitude of pros and cons.

"The ethics surrounding the gambling issue, both in theory and reality, is surprisingly complex," said Richard A. McGowan, S.J., CSOM professor and author of the upcoming book The Gambling Debate, in his Sept. 21 Boston Globe opions piece.

The views toward gambling remain so diverse because people perceive the act of gambling itself, as well as its impact on society (both positive and negative), in completely different lights.

Many, right off the bat, have a moral or religious objection to gambling. While 48 states have some form of legalized gambling, Utah, with its large Mormon population, has yet to legalize the activity.

Others condemn gambling for its supposed attack on the weak minded. And yet others hold that gambling is against human nature, as McGowan explained in the Globe, "Gambling becomes the irrational effort to maximize chance against reason. It also destroys the will, since intentionally maximizing risk 'is the will to have no will.'"

On the other side, those who align themselves with the pro-gambling position maintain that the choice to gamble should lie in the hands of the individual, as long as no harm is done to others, McGowan said. Individuals on this train of thought would like to see the government adopt legislation that "promote 'greater freedom' for mature adults, but adds 'tighter controls on the freedoms of children and 'vulnerable consumers,'" McGowan explained. This position, McGowan wrote, is held by the bulk of the population.

Over the past decade, gambling has become more widely acceptable in society. In an interview, McGowan points out that people largely perceived horseracing as a sport during the 1980s.

"When an activity is considered a sport, it is then considered a 'game.' Notice the industry likes to refer to itself as a 'game' and not gambling. To be 'sporting' or to play a game is different than gambling. Hence, there is a sense of innocence about a sportgame as opposed to pure gambling," said McGowan.

The same can be said about ESPN's and other network's coverage of Texas Hold-em matches, added McGowan. But one cannot deny gambling's negative impact on personal relationships and society.

In his article, McGowan makes note that the gambling debate "forces public policy makers to deal with issues as diverse as addiction, tribal rights, taxation, senior living, professional and college sports, organized crime, neurobiology, suicide, divorce, and religion."

Gambling has been widely correlated with increases in bankruptcy rates. Also, since casinos can afford to run their restaurants and hotels at a loss, local businesses are sometimes run out of business.

Then there is the addiction. "The state must take into account that there are going to be people addicted to gaming," McGowan said.

McGowan says that 1.4 percent of people become addicted to gambling, and that statistic is nearly double for people 18-25 years old who are looking for easy money and are sucked in by the lure of gambling. Patrick is planning on committing 2 percent of the revenue, double what other states typically spend, on helping individuals cope with addictions and other negative effects of gambling. The state will also spend a portion of the money to research gambling addiction. In addition, Patrick estimated the casinos would generate between $400 million and $500 million in state casino tax revenue.

"You're bringing extra revenue into the state and it can be for a good purpose," McGowan said.

Patrick plans to help the elderly pay their property tax and invest money into improving and expanding transportation systems in the state. In this case, McGowan states that the ends can justify the means. But many maintain that the stakes are too high, and the social benefits are not worth the negative impact on society, especially for those deemed pathological gamblers. Don't bet on this debate being resolved anytime soon: In his op-ed, McGowan cites a 1996 commission created by Congress to examine the gambling controversy, with an emphasis on exploring its impact on the country during the past 20 years. McGowan explained that after two years of investigating the issue, with commissioners gathering opinions from all walks of life through citizen meetings, the commission said, "Gambling is an ephemeral subject; the study of it is frustrated by the apparently solid repeatedly slipping away."