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Gambling plans draw protests By Kurt Johnson A protest against gambling in the state is scheduled for March 31 at the state capitol. The anti-gambling activists will be armed with results of a study by Texas Tech University that concludes less-affluent people spend a higher percentage of their incomes on the Texas Lottery. According to a source at The Baptist Standard magazine, participants at the protest rally will include members of the Eagle Forum, Southern Baptists of Texas, the Texas Conference of Churches and Texas Impact, a coalition of various religious groups. According to The Baptist Standard, Tina Benkiser, the chairwoman of the Texas Republican Party, is expected to speak at the rally. Republicans in the legislature, along with Gov. Rick Perry, are at odds with their state party and many of their conservative constituents because they are contemplating an expansion of gambling in order to raise more money for the state's budget. There are nine bills now pending in the legislature that would expand gambling, including adding video slot machines at racetracks and other public locations as well as allowing up to six casinos in the state. Regardless of how gambling might be expanded, anti-gambling groups say it would be bad for Texas and Texans, just as the more than $3 billion consumers now spend on the Texas Lottery is an objectionable way for the state to raise money. The Texas Tech study, which was ordered by the Texas Lottery Commission in order to comply with the state law that mandates such a study every two years, concluded that less-affluent people spend a higher percentage of their incomes on the Texas Lottery. One part of the Texas Tech survey provided details about Texans' spending on the lottery based on income, education, race, age and gender. (See "Who Pays to Play") The study reveals that those families earning between $30,000 and $39,000 per year spend the most on lottery tickets, an average of more than $64 each month. Those earning less than $20,000 per year spend on average nearly $49 per month on lottery tickets. The study also shows that young people - those under 34 - generally spend more than lottery tickets than older people, and that African-American and Hispanic families spend more than Caucasian families. It also shows that women spend more than men. Though gambling opponents have claimed for years that less-affluent people are victimized by gambling because they have less disposal income than richer people, poorer people are drawn to gambling because they view it as an opportunity to find a way out of economic distress. However, except for the one-in-several-million who are lucky enough to hit the right numbers, their financial circumstances worsen. Marv Cox, editor of The Baptist Standard, wrote in the current issue about the people who buy "The Big Lie," which is that gambling can solve Texas' financial woes. "They're the ones who pretend to believe video lottery terminals and casinos will provide the state with more than enough money to educate our children. If they fall for that, then we need to educate more than our children; we need to teach remedial rational thought to the legislature." According to Cox, gambling is addictive, regressive and expensive. "Bankruptcies increase in towns where casinos are located," he wrote. "The mandates upon cities and counties, such as increased costs for police and public safety, must be paid, no matter what happens. And don't forget the cost for declines in job productivity and increases in counseling, child protection and spouse abuse." The state no longer offers any cost-free counseling services to problem gamblers. When the lottery began in Texas in the early 1990s, there were more than 400 certified gambling counselors available to help those with gambling problems through a state-funded program. That program, however, has been eliminated. During the 2003 legislative session, lawmakers killed the only remaining state-funded source of help for gamblers, a toll-free hotline whose number was printed on the back of lottery tickets. The Texas Lottery has what it calls a "Play Responsibly" campaign on its Web site but the service offers only contact information for organizations that have literature or advice, including a link to Gamblers Anonymous. No direct counseling is offered, either in person or by telephone. State Sen. Steve Ogden, whose district includes Williamson County, has taken an uncompromising position about the gambling-expansion bills now pending in the legislature. "I don't support expanding legalized gambling in Texas," Ogden said. "It's not a good idea either from the standpoint of economic development or funding state government." However, Ogden and others at the capitol admit that the pressure on the state budget make an expansion of gambling a real possibility this session. "There's a chance it could pass," Ogden said. "A gambling bill isn't far from having enough votes." Lobbyists supported by gambling interests are keeping the pressure on legislators to take action. But the anti-gambling protesters intend to bring some pressure of their own to Austin March 31. Editor's note: This article is the third in a series about the Texas Lottery.
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