Summary
- Study shows casinos to bring heavy crime to the community
- Non-violent crime like robbery and theft increases due to the money aspect.
- The community does not become unsafe due to a casino addition.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission recently had a study conducted regarding crime and its connection to casino communities. In general, crime can increase, according to the study, but the communities are not less safe as a whole.
Spectrum Gaming Group conducted the study and recently shared the findings with the public. Michael Pollock is the managing director of the group who stated that crime studies have to be viewed closely. Crime is a concern universally and is a question that comes up in every gaming market. For Spectrum, the group has been studying gaming for forty years and found that casinos do not create street crime.
For the most part, any increase in crime in an area where a casino is created will revolve around theft and robberies. This is because there are more people coming through and money is present. This gives criminals more opportunity to strike.
Pollock says that the number of visitors to an area, the amount of money, and number of people at a venue that play a role in such criminal activity. It is also important to consider the employment that is gained along with capital investment. The community can essentially become safer due to the positives.
The history of an area must also be considered. Communities seek a real money casino installation due to the need for economic stimulus. It is important to assess the criminal activity in the region before a casino comes in too, ensuing that such problems were already present, which also plays a role.
A Common Argument
In general, a common argument among casino opponents is to say that casinos will bring crime to an area. Opponents point out all the negatives including crime increase, problems within the community such a bankruptcy and divorce.
While such issues can occur, the good generally outweighs the bad. As the Spectrum Gaming Group study points out, job creation as well as economic stimulus is good for the community, and many areas that are struggling can benefit greatly from the installation of a casino.
This study will hopefully help to point out the positive points and remove the argument involving the criminal element from the equation. Pollock also pointed out in the information regarding the study that gambling does not equate causation when it comes to divorce, child abuse, or other issues. A correlation may be found, but it is not the root cause of such issues.
Studies like this are important to consider as gambling changes are being made across the United States. It is important to learn more about how an area can be affected by a casino and if the local community is a good fit for such an installation.
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