America Beyond Gambling

It is clear, however, that state governments have come to accept lotteries with more enthusiasm than they have casino gambling.

Legislators' and other public officials' motivation for legalizing and expanding gambling has been similar throughout the United States: creation of jobs, general economic development, and increased tax revenues.

There were 'campaigns' to legalize casinos in twenty states between 1960 and 1988. While this was a period in which the legalization of lotteries was extensive, only one campaign to legalize casinos.

New Jersey, in 1976, was successful. Some of these proposals and campaigns to legalize casinos were decided by referenda, while others were settled by legislative action.

Moreover, it was also concluded that campaigns to legalize lotteries fit a 'gravity model', in which a 'preponderance of evidence' favoring legalization results in successful campaigns.

However, because of casino gambling's negative images, casino legalization faces a stricter test. Using the parlance of criminal law, they argued that the evidence favoring casino legalization must be conclusive 'beyond any reasonable doubt'--- otherwise termed as the 'veto model'.

The veto model has four main components, all of which must be present for a casino legalization campaign to be successful. The first is the 'political environment'.

This includes the economic conditions of the proposed area for casino development and the state's prior experience with legalized gambling (lottery, racing, and so on).

A weak and depressed economy and positive experiences with already existing gambling favor a successful casino campaign.

Second, the active support of political and business elites is important. Active support of the governors, state attorneys general, influential legislators, judges, and business leaders favors casino legalization.

Active opposition by other gambling interests such as racetrack owners, charity bingo operators, or lottery officials can undermine casino legalization campaigns.

The third component is the credibility and financial resources of those sponsoring the casino legalization campaign.

Sponsors must appear to be operating honestly and fairly, and have significant amounts of money to spend to promote casino legalization (and to outspend opponents).

The fourth is 'campaign against issue dominance'. Campaigns that take the high ground and focus on economic benefits are more likely to succeed than those that focus on 'negative' issues such as crime, compulsive gambling, and reduced quality of life.

Between 1988 and 1994, campaigns to legalize land-based or waterborne casinos succeeded in eight states (Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, and Indiana) and failed in six states (Ohio, Alaska, Colorado [expansion], Florida, Wyoming, and Rhode Island).

With the exception of the Colorado vote to initially legalize land-based casinos in 1990, the veto model was supported in all cases.

Those factors predictive of a successful campaign were present in states that legalized casinos (with the exception of Colorado, where legalization occurred despite a lack of support from the governor).

At least one factor was absent in states where the campaign failed.