Column: Rise of gambling has given way to gaming addictions
Apparently, there's a cost to turning Illinois into a giant gaming casino, but it isn't high enough to turn back the clock on the thousands of gambling dens currently in operation.
The latest example is what the Lake County Board did the other day. The county's legislative body approved doubling down on gambling addiction and allocated $800,000 in video gaming revenue to area social services agencies.
When legalized gambling first surfaced in the Prairie State, opponents warned of the consequences, like gamblers spinning through money they don't have, ending up in debt and decimating their families. Their predictions of gambling disorders have come true in spades.
The ease of gambling — one can place bets online and from cellphones, pick up a Lotto ticket at a mini-mart, take a chance at a bar or restaurant with video games, or visit one of the casinos located geographically across the state — is what makes it a devastating addiction.
According to Joseph States' recent News-Sun account, County Board members remarked on the negative impact gambling addiction has had on their constituents.
Of course, millions of Illinoisans bet responsibly. They know their limits. For others, they need to overcome their addictions.
A study a few years ago by the Illinois Department of Human Services found that 68% of adult Illinoisans reported they gamble, with the Illinois lottery being the most popular outlet. It also found that 3.8% of Illinoisans — about 383,000 people — are considered to have a gambling problem.
An additional 7.7% — approximately 761,000 — are at risk for developing a gambling problem. Another study calculates that about 1% to 3% of U.S. adults are gambling addicts.
County Board member Linda Pedersen of Antioch said allocating money to social-service agencies only makes sense, States reported. 'Why would you take the money from gambling and spend on everything else, and not help the people that you know are going to have problems?' she said.
While it's a noble move to spend gaming earnings on gaming addictions, officials can expect to dole out their winnings in perpetuity to battle its pull. Especially since Illinois and local governments get a nice boost from gambling without actually taxing residents.
State and local governments earned more than $1.7 billion in tax revenue last year from the state's 16 licensed casinos, approximately 8,700 video gaming terminals and 14 sportsbooks, according to Illinois Gaming Board data. The breakdown was $1.4 billion to the state, and $269.9 million to local governments.
In March, The Temporary casino in Waukegan's Fountain Square entertainment zone earned nearly $10.9 million in adjusted gross receipts, the Gaming Board reported this month. Of that, $1.2 million went to the state, and $620,619 to local governments.
The Temporary is the state's seventh-highest-grossing casino. Rivers, off the Tri-State Tollway in Des Plaines, is the highest. It is followed by newly opened Wind Creek in South Suburban East Hazelcrest; Hard Rock Casino-Rockford, also newly opened; Grand Victoria in Elgin, one of the state's original 'riverboat' casinos; Harrah's Joliet; and Bally's Chicago.
Riverboat casinos began operating in Illinois in 1991, with expansion following. Video gaming was approved in 2009, and sports betting in 2019.
The U.S. gaming industry made a record $71.9 billion in revenue last year, with gamblers, who should know odds always favor the house, losing more than $100 billion. A rise in gambling addictions has resulted.
Indeed, the Mayo Clinic based in Rochester, Minnesota, notes, 'Gambling can stimulate the brain's reward system much like drugs such as alcohol can, leading to addiction.' In one study, Illinois is ranked as the 14th-most gambling-addicted state. Nevada is number one.
Even those who rule the state's gaming venues admit we have a gambling problem. 'Problem gambling awareness and responsible gambling education demand our attention, effort, and action,' Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said in a statement last month, marking Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The IDHS spends more than $10 million annually on gambling-addiction treatment services.
The state operates a voluntary self-exclusion program for problem gamblers, which allows them to voluntarily ban themselves from the state's casinos and sportsbooks. As of March, some 15,613 people had placed themselves on the exclusion list, according to the Gaming Board.
Elizabeth Thielen, senior director of substance abuse treatment services at Waukegan-based Nicasa, whose counselors have been treating county addicts since 1966, said it is estimated that every $1 of gambling revenue results in $3 of social costs due to increases in crime and social-service spending.
That's a heavy loss for what are advertised as fun games of chance.
If you believe someone has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER (800-426-2537).
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