14 States Consider Gambling Expansion
Because of the recession, at least 14 states are considering allowing gambling or expanding existing gaming operations to plug state budget gaps. In most of these states, there has been fierce opposition to gambling, but with revenues from other sources dipping, resistance to games of chances as sources of revenues are easier to hurdle. The link between hard times and gambling is easy to establish. Rhode Island opened the first racetrack casino in the U.S. in 1992 and was followed by four states. The 2001 recession led to the launch and acceptance of multistate lotteries such as the Powerball. Among the states where gambling advocates are enjoying the edge are in Ohio where lobbyist are pushing for different large gambling development enterprises. Georgia plans to make a blighted zone in downtown Atlanta into a casino area with a 29-story hotel to accommodate tourists who will be attracted 5,500 video lottery terminals. Video gambling is being proposed for racetracks in Kentucky, New Hampshire, New York and Texas. The attraction among states to cash in from gambling revenues is not surprising considering that over 50 percent of states with lotteries logged improving sales the past six months. Sale of scratch offs in Washington, D.C. rose by 11 percent in 2008. 
With more states turning to gambling, experts expect that the gambling industry will balloon further from its present size of $54 billion yearly turnover and providing jobs to 350,000 people. Copyright by AHN