[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 69 (Thursday, April 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5851-S5852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                GAMBLING

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, the Washington Monthly recently, in 
an editorial, had a column by Roman Genn and a comment about gambling 
in the United States and its spread.
  This has been a growing phenomenon in our country, and we have not 
examined what its impact will be on the future of our country.
  The article points out some of the problems.
  I introduced a bill in the last session of Congress, and I have 
introduced a bill also in this session to set up a commission to look 
at this matter.
  Obviously, we are not going to eliminate legal gambling in our 
society. But 
[[Page S5852]] I believe we should know what we are doing in terms of 
its total impact.
  I ask that the Washington Monthly item be printed in the Record.
  The article follows:

       Guess what the fastest growing business in America is? 
     Gambling. About $330 billion was legally bet last year, 
     reports NBC's Roger O'Neil, which is more than the defense 
     budget and about what Social Security costs. Thirty-seven 
     states and the District of Columbia have legalized lotteries; 
     20 states have casinos that are owned by Native Americans; 
     and 10 states have licensed either casinos or riverboats. In 
     Iowa, every man, women, and child is within a two-hour drive 
     of a casino. Here in the District of Columbia, the lottery is 
     pushed by hard-sell television commercials designed to 
     encourage gambling. This is crazy. It's also evil. Why not 
     have state-sponsored opium dens with TV commercials promoting 
     blissful oblivion? There is a reasonable argument for the 
     state to offer gambling and dope to those who are determined 
     to partake of those dubious pleasures, but it is outrageous 
     to advertise them in a way that could tempt those who might 
     otherwise choose to say no. . . .
     

                          ____________________