Thank you to Rev. Dai Morgan, Executive Director of United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania, and Bishops Peggy Johnson, Jeremiah Park, and Cynthia Moore Koikoi for sharing this important information.
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE A “MINI-CASINO” IN YOUR MUNICIPALITY, PLEASE LET YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS KNOW IMMEDIATELY. Local government resolutions prohibiting them must go to the PA Gaming Control Board by December 31. Learn more below.
On October 26, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 109-72 to approve a significant expansion of gambling in our state, House Bill 271. The bill was approved by the state Senate the previous day. Four days after the House action, Governor Tom Wolf signed the legislation into law. The legislation was quickly moved, taking only 18 hours between its introduction and its passage in the House. In fact, lawmakers had only two hours to read the massive 939-page bill. This stealthy rush through the General Assembly minimized scrutiny. Obviously, public input was thwarted.
This new law will create 10 mini-casinos in regions without a casino, allow some truck stops to operate video gaming terminals, regulate fantasy sports and online gambling, legalize online gambling portals at casinos and airports, permit the state lottery to sell tickets and offer games online, and legalize sports betting (if Congress allows it nationally). Proponents of this legislation hope to open gambling to new markets, especially younger players.
Only Nevada exceeds Pennsylvania in commercial casino revenues. This law marks the biggest expansion of gambling in the state, since it first legalized casinos more than a decade ago. Pennsylvania now becomes the fourth state with internet gambling and the first to allow both casino and lottery games online.
But, this is not the end, there is still a way that the public can respond. A provision in the new law allows municipalities to opt out of this gambling expansion. Local governments may pass a resolution prohibiting a “mini-casino” within the boundaries of their municipality. Such a resolution must be sent to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board by December 31, 2017. County governments have the same option regarding truck stop gambling. Many lawmakers, who voted against this legislation, are recommending such action. There is not much time.
Read our statement on “What’s Wrong with Gambling” below.
We join the United Methodist bishops in strongly urging people of faith to act during this limited response period. Prayer followed by meaningful and effective action is an exercise of faith. We ask that you contact your local government councils, as soon as possible. Ask when the next meeting will be and ask to have this mini-casino prohibition put on their agenda. Plan for residents to attend these meetings and be ready to support this resolution.
What’s Wrong with Gambling?
The Commission on Public Witness of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches urges you to write, telephone or visit your state legislators to ask them to stop the expansion of legalized gambling. A better way to fund government services is through just and equitable taxation.
Gambling hurts individuals and families
First, gambling is deceptive and deceitful. A few big winners receive lots of publicity, and there’s no truth in their advertising. For those few to win big, there are many, many more who are losers. Some gamblers cannot afford to lose and should not gamble. When gamblers lose what they cannot afford to lose, they lose, their families lose, and society—that’s you and me—loses, too.
Second, gambling can be addictive. The gambler suffers. Families are broken. Children are poorly cared for. Poverty, bankruptcy, and criminal activity are the results of the addiction. Some lives are completely destroyed while others are significantly harmed.
Gambling hurts all of us in society!
Third, gambling costs society more than the state or municipalities receive. There are negative consequences for gamblers, their families, and their communities. These consequences are for more costly than the value of revenues from gambling licenses and fees.
Finally, gambling will not produce the amount of state revenue promised by gambling supporters. Gambling funds are not a reliable or stable source of revenue for state programs. In other states, programs supported by gambling revenues experience a continuing decrease in their funding base. Programs funded with gambling money often fail to meet their financial obligations and revert to tapping the general tax dollars.
Gambling problems affect us all, whether we are young or old, male or female, poor or rich. Legalized gambling makes the poor poorer and pushes individuals and families into poverty. Social economic costs include homelessness, divorce, abuse, and suicide. Criminal justice costs include fraud, embezzlement, stealing, child neglect, and homicide.
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