In the push to legalize casinos in New York, deep-pocketed casino interests have money and the political backing of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

But a small band of casino opponents are making their case via “good arguments and shoe leather,” said David Blankenhorn, the president of the Institute for American Values, which supports this blog. See the story in the New York Times here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/nyregion/critics-wage-quiet-fight-against-ballot-measure-on-adding-casinos.html?_r=0

The IAV has issued three reports that make the case against casinos. The group has also participated in debates, written a number of newspaper op-eds and met with editorial boards. Last week, the IAV smashed a slot machine outside the Capitol in Albany to raise awareness about the issue and draw attention to the report. Other casino critics have joined in as well.

At the same time, Gov. Cuomo cut deals with other gambling interests – including the Indian casinos and the horse racing industry – to keep them from opposing casinos. It was a shrewd political move, but the governor has yet to make the case to voters as to why the state suddenly needs to change the constitution to allow casinos. There have been no public hearings, no cost-benefit studies and no community forums by the Cuomo administration. Instead, the Cuomo administration added rosy wording to the referendum in an attempt to mislead voters into thinking casinos are good for the state.

Despite the heavy-handed tactics, polls show voters are divided over whether to legalize casinos. In fact, once voters take the time to study the issue their opposition to casinos grows.

This may help explain why Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other casino supporters have avoided public hearings, debates or independent studies that examine the true costs and benefits of allowing more gambling in New York.

At a debate in Syracuse last week, a slight majority of people who turned out said they were against legalizing casinos. After the debate ended, nearly twice as many of the attendees said they were opposed to casinos. In other words, the more residents learned about casinos, the less they favored them. See the link here: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/10/casino_debate_at_su_ends_with_crowd_supportingopposing_referendum_issue.html

Cuomo and other casino supporters have only discussed the benefits, and not the costs. For the most part, the discussion has been mostly muted. Even then, the figures have been rosy at best and not based on much independent scrutiny.

The problem is the economic and social costs of casinos outweigh the benefits. Rather than examine the costs, Cuomo and others have ignored or downplayed them. But once voters take the time to examine the issue, they understand that casinos are a bad deal.

Casino supporters in New York tout the tax revenue that will come from casinos but do not know the true costs of more gambling.

The Albany Times Union used the recent study by the Institute for American Values to point out some of the costs. The Times Union summarized the report this way: “Problem gambling is more widespread than many casino industry leaders claim. The problem gamblers frequently go to a casino, and their lives and livelihoods may be adversely affected by their betting. They are not necessarily the heavy gamblers who are pathological and who suffer from increasing preoccupations to gamble and a loss of control.”

A spokesman for the American Gaming Association disputed the findings but offered no independent figures to dispute the report. Indeed, the AGA spokesman could not estimate how much a casino’s revenues of come from problem gamblers. The IAV report pointed to studies that found anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of casino revenues come from problem gamblers.

The AGA spokesman said that most of the casino revenues are from “whales” — big gamblers who can afford their spending. The spokesman may want to take a walk through the casinos in Atlantic City, the slots parlor in Queens or any of the other convenience casinos that have opened in a number of state across the country.

The casinos are filled with most elderly, minority and working class gamblers. Several casinos in the Philadelphia area reported that their customers come an average of three to five times a week. There are not many whales to be found. But there are plenty of low-rollers.