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While the state seems
to have given attention to whether local
communities
approve the proposed reservations
and their casino projects, the state has not
paid
attention to the economic and social conditions
surrounding the specific proposals, and little
consideration has been given to the notion that
each proposal may have different impacts.
The essence of gambling is economics —
gambling involves money. Money is put at
risk, money is won or lost, money goes into the
coffers of organizations such as race tracks,
casinos, lotteries, or charities, and that money
is redistributed in taxes for public programs,
profits for tribes, casino owners or managers,
wages, and for purchases of various supplies.
The money of gambling can help grow the
economies of local communities and regions,
but gambling operations can also cause money
Spring 2001 36
to be drawn out of communities, as the players
may be from the local area while the casino
revenues are distributed to outside areas.
Casinos also may attract spending on other
things, such as non-gaming entertainment,
hotel rooms, food and beverages, and shopping
facilities. Gambling facilities that attract
tourists tend to be the source for most of this
spending. On the other hand, gambling can
also impose costs upon societies because of
problem behaviors of persons that cannot control
their gambling impulses.
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