| | |  | Last Updated: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 |  | | | Costs of Gambling on New York State
- Sunday, 28 May 2006
Every year $9.5 billion is spent on gambling in the State of New York. The state also takes in $2.1 billion from gambling each year and spends a substantial amount on treating gambling addiction. Gambling is a money generating industry in the United States, and especially in the State of New York. It was recently calculated that New York Staters spend $9.5 on gambling every year – ranging from slot machines, to bingo cards, to lottery tickets to land casinos. With all this spending on gambling, the state also benefits – taking in a whopping $2.1 billion in revenue from gambling every year.
With the benefits also come the disadvantages, one of the major ones being gambling addiction. It is estimated that between 1-3% of the population suffer from some sort of gambling problems – from minor addiction to major addiction. The State of New York spends $3.3 million on gambling treatment — a tiny fraction of what the state makes from this industry. There are those who argue that this amount spent is not nearly enough to cover the treatment needs of those who suffer from gambling disorders.
At Seneca Niagara Casino they refused to publish how much was spent on gambling treatment a year. It is required by state law that every gambling facility provide a certain percentage of their income to help fight gambling problems. However, it is not easy to get the figure out of the casinos themselves. If the casinos are benefiting so much from the gambling industry, it is their duty to contribute something back to fight the evil side of gambling. | |
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