Addictive Video Gambling Machines Coming to Skokie? - Op. Ed.

www.stoppredatorygamblingillin... - Visit this link to see the letter, sign up for updates on the issue and how to help, and find key action steps.

We need your help NOW to combat addictive new gambling machines in Skokie.

A proposal to legalize video gambling machines (known as video gaming terminals or VGTs) in Skokie has been brought to the Economic Development Commission and is likely to come before the Village Board for a vote. These machines, which provide digital slots or other types of highly-engineered games that take advantage of human psychology, have been rejected by village leaders in two past legalization attempts and ought to be rejected again.
Instant-win rapid-betting games with animated digital displays are the most addictive and dangerous form of gambling, and they must be kept out of public restaurants and bars meant to be positive community gathering spaces.
Addiction Concerns
WTTW reported the story of Jolene (1), who started using video gambling machines at 24. She won big on her first bet and got addicted. She reported spending long amounts of time at the machines, getting in "the zone" where she was isolated from her life and nothing could get her attention. Ultimately she lost $300,000. She struggled to find help and had to try to educate herself to figure out why these machines kept her stuck there. She used the voluntary self-exclusion program to prevent her from going to casinos, but her addiction problem continued once video gambling terminals were legalized outside casino walls and came to her community.
Illinois gambling addiction rates suggest about 1,500 Skokie residents are addicted to gambling like Jolene, and that number will continue to climb if we place machines known as "the crack cocaine of gambling" into public gathering places. Video gambling terminals in places like local restaurants both put dangerous triggers in the path of people struggling with addiction and decrease the perception of risk for those not yet addicted.
There are heavy consequences for our growing addiction. A survey of addicted people (2) showed:

• 57% admitted stealing to finance their gambling.
• Divorce rates are 3x higher for addicted gamblers than others.
• 47% had made a definite plan to kill themselves.

It is also widely accepted that gambling addiction has the highest suicide rate of any form of addiction, at 1 in 5 addicted people attempting suicide (3).
This is also a problem that threatens continued growth in the next generation (4).

• 60-80% of high school students have gambled in some form in the past year.
• Youth gambling disorder rates are an estimated 2-7 times higher than adult rates.

Do we want more of an activity that increases crime, divorce, suicide, and is addicting kids? Do we want to signal that more gambling in Skokie is worth the costs?
Village Costs and Revenue
The proposal is not a significant revenue generator for the Village. Based on Gaming Board data on average revenue per establishment and state law regarding tax distribution, three Skokie locations with VGTs would provide approximately $50,000 in annual tax revenue for the Village, a tiny fraction of the Village's tens of millions in revenue needs (5). Gambling expansions also increase Village costs as public safety and public health have to deal with the deadly consequences of gambling addiction, estimated at $9,000 per addicted gambler (6). Finally, video slots pull residents out of community life and out of other good types of spending at our local businesses, shifting significant financial resources out of Skokie to outsider gambling companies.
Actions
Village Board members, we ask you to reject this proposal, as your peers in Evanston did this summer in a clear 5-2 vote that took the social impact of these machines seriously. Show your concern for our community by evaluating this proposal based upon its addiction impact and rejecting it in our village yet again.
This is not a popular proposal, and it has great potential for harm.
Community members, we ask you to:

• Contact the Board at publiccomments@skokie.org and express your concern.
• Share this letter on social media.
• Ask community groups and leaders you know to share and contact the Board as well.
• Sign up on this page for updates on developments and other ways to help.
• Show up at key Village Board meetings to show your interest (updates sign-up will keep you informed of these meetings).

www.stoppredatorygamblingillin... - Visit this link to see the letter, sign up for updates on the issue and how to help, and find key action steps.

Signers (as of 7/11/24)

Zach Savella Stallard, Skokie resident, Stop Predatory Gambling Illinois volunteer
Pastor Timothy Biel Jr., Central United Methodist Church, President - United Voices for Children, Skokie
Rabbi Kirk Gliebe, Devar Emet Messianic Synagogue, Skokie
Kathleen Tiffin, President of United Women in Faith of Central United Methodist Church, Skokie
Denyse Wang Stoneback, former State Representative for the 16th District
Pamela Castaneda, Skokie
Jasmine Dela Luna, Skokie
J. A. Ginsburg, Skokie
Shira Hammann, Skokie
Robert Kusel, Skokie
Judy Mendel, Skokie
Leslie Nathan, Skokie
Linda Ortolano, Skokie
Ron Savella, Skokie
Stella Savella, Skokie
Rachel Savella Olarte, Skokie
Karen Savella Stallard, Skokie
Vicki Wolfinger, Skokie
Emi Lynn Yamauchi, Skokie

References

1. Jolene’s story: https://news.wttw.com/2020/04/...
2. Survey of addicted people: "National Gambling Impact Study Commission Report" Dept. of Justice. 1999.
3. Rosengren, John. "How Casinos Enable Gambling Addicts." The Atlantic. 2016.
4. Youth gambling data: National Council on Problem Gambling; Dolores Cimini, University of Albany; Yale Medicine, https://www.yalemedicine.org/c...
5. Estimating revenue per establishment: https://ugaminggroup.com/how-m...
6. Costs per addicted gambler: Grotto, Kambhampati, Mihalopoulos. “How Illinois Bet on Video Gambling and Lost.” ProPublica and WBEZ. 16 January 2019.