Casinos: The Effects of Casinos - Domestic Problems

In its final report the NGISC briefly addresses the relationship between casino gambling and domestic problems, such as abuse and neglect. The NGISC relied on the report Gambling Impact and Behavior Study: Report to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. NORC examined the rates of domestic problems in ten casino communities and found that six of the communities reported an increase in domestic violence after the introduction of casinos.

The NGISC also heard testimony from domestic violence counselors and law enforcement officials regarding specific problems in casino communities. A domestic violence shelter in Harrison County, Mississippi, reported a 300% increase in the number of requests for help after casinos opened in the county. A large majority of the women seeking refuge at the shelter stated that gambling by their spouses had contributed to the abuse. The attorney general of Rhode Island reported a "significant increase" in the number of domestic assaults that occurred in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, after the Foxwoods Casino opened in nearby Connecticut.

The NGISC's report also mentions numerous cases in which children were locked in cars or were unsupervised for long periods of time while their parents or babysitters gambled at casinos. In a 1997 case, a seven-year-old girl was raped and murdered in a bathroom stall at a Las Vegas casino while her father gambled during the early-morning hours.

One NGISC member was Dr. James Dobson, founder and president of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family. The group's mission is to spread the Christian gospel and help preserve traditional values, and it opposes gambling for moral, religious, and ethical reasons. On its Web site (www.family.org), Focus on the Family describes some of the detrimental effects of casino gambling on families.

Both the NGISC and Focus on the Family cite statistics showing that children and spouses of compulsive gamblers are more prone to suffer abuse and neglect. The NORC study found casino communities that reported increased cases of child neglect attributed the increase at least in part to parents leaving their children unsupervised at home, in casinos, or in casino parking lots while they gambled. However, these communities did not report any noticeable increases in cases of child abuse or infant mortality after casino gambling was introduced.

Casino officials insist they do all they can to discourage people from leaving children unattended on casino grounds. According to the NGISC, the Foxwoods casino posted signs in its parking lot warning that children left alone in cars would be reported to the police. Industry spokespeople also point out that similar cases of child neglect occur at places unrelated to gambling, such as at shopping malls, and should be blamed on irresponsible parents, not on casinos.