Recently Casino Watch issued a statement to each member of the City Council for Jefferson City, Missouri concerning the proposal to allow a vote to change the city charter to allow casino gambling in the Missouri Capital City. Since many questions have been raised concerning the economic consequences of allowing a casino in Jefferson City our statement provides several documented sources aimed at providing some of the economic costs of a casino.
Official Statement:
Dear City Council Member,
As a member of the city council you face an extremely important decision regarding the placement of an initiative on the ballot to remove the current gambling ban in Jefferson City. The initial decision may seem easy; simply place the initiative on the ballot and let the people decide. Unfortunately, history of other cities and municipalities show the situation as not that simple. If this issue is brought back up for a vote, your city and your people will be subjected to a well-funded campaign of nonacademic disinformation by the gambling industry. As explained in the Stanford Journal of Law 2003, they routinely use their influence to create studies that don’t have backed university support, that don’t properly provide the numbers behind their research necessary for proper peer review and are produced by biased pro gambling interests. As a consumer watchdog organization, Casino Watch is concerned that proper academically peer reviewed non-biased information will be lost. We want to supply you with as much reputable information as possible so you can make the best decision for not only the citizens of Jefferson City, but also for the entire state of Missouri.
Read the entire statement here.
Links to News Stories:
- KOMU.com: Jefferson City Considers Gambling
- News Tribune: Revisiting Riverboat Gambling
- KRCG.com: Gambling in Jefferson City?
Links to Other Organizations:
