TO: Chairman Swearingen and Members of State Affairs and Government Operations FR: Lorri Pickens, Citizens Against Expanded Gambling DATE: January 27, 2015 RE: Testimony Opposing AB 800 Thank you Chairman Swearingen and Members of State Affairs and Government Operations. My name is Lorri Pickens, and I am here on behalf of Citizens Against Expanded Gambling. Citizens Against Expanded Gambling is a group of concerned citizens, employers and community leaders who oppose the expansion of gambling in Wisconsin. Citizens Against Expanded Gambling represents...

Gambling is taking on a new flavor – daily fantasy sports (DFS) betting. It’s the latest trend sweeping the nation, and there is really big money on the line. According to some analysts, entry fees in daily fantasy sports will total $18 billion by 2020. Proponents of legalizing DFS gambling are trying to skirt the law altogether by seeking to define it in state statutes as a game of skill rather than a game of chance. One such proposal (AB...

Below is a letter to the editor written by Tim Johnson of Beloit. Letters to the editors are very effective ways to let members of your community and elected officials know that there is opposition to the expansion of gambling and casinos in Wisconsin as well as an opportunity to educate why people they should oppose casinos in their communities. There are many other ways to help (click here for more opportunities)  Please join our efforts to help stop the...

Casino owners and often times, public officials make the claim that casinos represent “personal freedom,” as they argue that the act of gambling itself is a choice. According to them, it’s a “voluntary act.” That’s not the whole story.

It happens time after time.  The casino developers roll up with their shiny new toy, a scaled model of a giant casino complex complete with state-of-the-art everything.  No detail left to the imagination.  The smell of money lingers in the air and intoxicates the local elected officials, area business owners, and the townspeople.   And, of course, the promise of jobs.  Lots and lots of jobs. Not all jobs are created equal.  Just because a casino employs people doesn’t prove that...

When one considers the tough positions local and state government elected officials face with increasing costs and declining revenues, it’s easy to understand the allure of a local Casino.  This week we will look at what it actually means to local government budgets. There is a lot of data and substantiated evidence which proves that government entities who rely upon casino revenue have budget shortages, because it is anti-economic growth, unsustainable and inadequate. States that use gambling revenues as a...

Proponents of off-reservation casinos paint gambling expansion as win-win for local communities- promising jobs, millions of dollars in economic development and reinvestment, and a never-ending source of revenue for local governments. But as so many communities have discovered the hard way, the honeymoon is often short lived, if it happens at all. In Wisconsin, there are two such proposals pending before the Bureau of Indian Affairs for approval: Beloit and Shullsburg. Casinos market their establishment with gimmicks like free transportation,...