2nd Affirmative Constructive

	Wilson Mizner, an American raconteur and entrepreneur once declared that, “Gambling is the 
sure way of getting nothing for something.” Mr. Mizner was a scoundrel, a knave, a conniving thief – 
one that knows how and when to steal money from someone, and as such it was not hard for him to 
recognize the casino industry as the glamorized scam it really is. My partner and I are strongly against 
the current state of legalized gambling in the nation, and Mr. Lego has already reviewed the social 
ramifications of allowing such a despicable enterprise. I'd like to take some time to outline the 
economic and political reasons why the costs of legalized casino gambling in the United States 
outweigh the benefits.
	My opponents have continuously stood upon the argument of increased money when preaching 
the legalization of casino gambling, but I'm afraid their argument is fallacious and fictitious. As a 
matter of fact, casinos bring a greater cost to local taxpayers and negatively impact the surrounding 
economy. Author and economic professor Earl L. Grinols stated in his book “Gambling in America: 
Costs and Benefits”,

“$141 (per person) as the social cost per adult annually in 
an area that moves from no gambling to having pretty 
freely available casino gambling.... All things considered, 
and if you take atypical circumstances, casinos cost a 
community more than they provide in benefits. The ratio of 
costs to benefits is approximately three to one.”

	Professor Grinols is simply stating that when you take into account the social cost of such a 
despicable industry, citizens of a casino community end up paying more money than the casino 
actually provides. Yes, casinos are bringing in tax revenue, but at the cost of a happy society. 
Gambling promotes ignorance, alcoholism, theft, poor money management, and many other horrible 
communal problems – all of which negatively impact the local area.
	The negative effect of casinos is not only felt by the local population, but also by the entire 
state. Laird Graeser, chief of tax research and statistics at the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue 
Department, estimated that a state allowing casino gambling, even on a small scale, losses upwards of 
one billion dollars annually. Clearly the amount of money casinos bring in cannot solve the horrible 
destruction they cause. This can sometimes be a devastating impact to a state economy, a consequence 
of casino gambling that can also be seen on the national level. As a matter of fact, the United States 
government loses an estimated 27.5 billion dollars a year due to this economic drain. 
	The National Gambling Impact Study Commission Report, a bi-partisan, government funded 
commission tasked to study legalized gambling in the US, found that small business owners in Atlantic 
City, New Jersey, were severely harmed by the introduction of casinos. For example, from 1978 to 
2005, the number of taverns dropped from 311 to only 66. Clearly the introduction of corporately 
controlled casinos actually hurt local businesses, as money was funneled directly towards a far-away 
HQ and not into the local economy. As a matter of fact, casinos can quite easily monopolize a small 
town and completely eliminate local businesses from any profit.
	It is clear that legalized casino gambling costs such an exorbitant amount that it benefits no one 
except for the aristocratic tycoons that run these disgusting rackets. The costs of legalized gambling in 
the United States clearly outweigh the benefits. Thank you for your time.

(Ian Gibson)