Gambling in Georgia “Gambling on my Mind” has recently given a different take on the state song “Georgia on my Mind.” Gambling is legal in forty-seven states and the District of Columbia, but not in the peach state (Anderson). In the past few years, Georgia senators, representatives, and local political figures have been fighting non-stop to legalize gambling in this great state. Gambling in Georgia has been reduced to scratch offs and Powerball numbers instead of million-dollar casinos and gas station slot machines. The restricted regulation of gambling has put a damper on the income of this state, but gambling would bring a tremendous amount of money to the business and people of Georgia. Gambling is betting upon the final result of any game or contest, upon games played with cards, dice, or balls in order to win money or other valuables (“FindLaws”). …show more content…
Researchers across the United States have concluded that crime increases approximately “ten percent annually” around new gambling facilities; as gamblers lose their money and resources, they resort to crime to cover for their loses (Kindt). Conservative groups and churches warn that casinos will increase crime and prey on the poor (Jones). "'We are talking about compulsive gambling and the crime that’s associated,"' Bill Thompson, explains how crime increases due to the addiction to gambling in his interview with PBS (Thompson). Gamblers Anonymous estimates there are at least twelve million compulsive gamblers around the U.S. with an “average debt exceeding $80,000” (Anderson). In addition, bankruptcies increase “eighteen to forty-two percent” when casino gamblers lose their revenue to these facilities (Kindt). These compulsive gamblers only think about hitting the jackpot rather than all the dollars wasted away; people will lie in order to convience themselves that they were foolish about gambling