Hollywood Slot Machines No Trouble

Those that are opposed to slot machines in Maine have been saying for years that if you bring in gambling, a whole slew of social ills will follow. They say that gambling addiction, crime, suicide, bankruptcy, etc. follows wherever slot machines are. The Hollywood Slots casino has been running for a year now, and police and gambling officials say that there has been no change. The police say that crime is the same, and the gambling hotline says there is no change in the number of calls they have been receiving as well.

Joe Johnson, the general manager of Penn National’s Maine operations says he was not expecting the slot machines to draw crime. After 32 years in the industry, he said, "I have never seen gambling lead to an increase in crime. It’s just like when Disneyland opened. Crime increased [because the amusement park drew crowds], but Mickey Mouse did not cause it."

He says that the anti-slot machine groups will continue their fight, no matter what the police say to the contrary. “The antis are going to continue to predict [a crime wave is coming] on into the future," he said this week. "So it’s really a controversy without an ending. Gaming hasn’t created crime. Unemployment creates crime. When you bring in economic development to an area, crime goes down. The slots facility is part of that. If people are gaining money through legal means, which is employment, they are less likely to commit crime."

When you check with law enforcement across the country, you will find that each of the places that have brought in slot machines have not seen major crime increases. They see things like theft, burglary, and attempts at passing bad checks. The Maine Gambling Control Board is currently looking at a report from local police that says the only crime they have seen is that which is normally found in places where people congregate: pushing in the ATM line, a fight, people smoking marijuana in the parking lot, etc.

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