Elected officials and casino operators often hype the benefits of gambling. But The Washington Post editorial board cuts through the rhetoric with a compelling argument as to why casinos often over promise and underdeliver.

At best, gambling is a “mixed bag,” The Post argues. More accurately, gambling is “sensitive to economic gyrations” and is a “flimsy foundation on which to build a state’s economic development program,” The Post said. Spot on.

The argument from supporters that gambling will generate millions of dollars in new revenue rests on ”seat-of-the-pants guesses and rosy assumptions.” Well said.

The paper is even less convinced that adding table games and a sixth casino in Maryland will yield much in the way of new revenue, especially in Prince George’s County. The paper called the move “a poor branding strategy,” especially for a county whose “image has been badly stained by corruption.” Prince George’s may just be getting warmed up. That’s because gambling has a long history of being corrupting influence on lawmakers.

To recap: here’s the Post’s take on more casinos in Maryland: Flimsy foundation for economic development; rosy assumptions and seat-of-the-pants guesses for the revenue impact tot he state; and a “poor branding strategy” for a county marred by corruption. Sounds like all the usual ingredients for a flawed partnership between government and the gambling industry.