Illinois House approves video poker
Internet gambling on lottery, horse racing okayed
SPRINGFIELD, Il. — Bishop Gregory Palmer of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference is exhorting United Methodists to contact Gov. Pat Quinn to veto legislation passed last week in the legislature that will legalize video poker machines and gambling through the Internet on lottery and horse racing.
“I was profoundly disappointed that the funding package for the [capital construction] program includes the dangerous expansion of gambling in Illinois,” Palmer said. “I am persuaded that such an expansion will do great injury and harm.”
I am persuaded that such an expansion will do great injury and harm.
Two weeks ago, Illinois legislators introduced and quickly passed a bill to legalize video poker machines and Internet Lottery. Last week, the House passed SB1298 that will legalize Internet gambling on horse racing. With these provisions, anyone 18 years of age or older could gamble on horses and the lottery on the Internet using a debit or credit card on any computer in homes, offices, libraries, colleges, cell phones and BlackBerries.
The Video Gaming Act allows licensed retail establishments where alcoholic liquor is served for consumption, licensed fraternal establishments, and licensed veterans establishments and truck stops to conduct video gaming.
The House passed SB 1298 for Account Deposit Wagering, which legalizes gambling on horse racing on the Internet, 87 to 27. The Senate passed SB 1298 last month 43 to 9.
The legislature is sending Gov. Quinn two bills that amount to "the greatest expansion of gambling in Illinois history," according to Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems. “At this point, the governor is the only one who can stop this massive expansion of gambling into homes and neighborhoods,” said Anita Bedell, ILLCAAAP executive director.
On May 28, representatives from The United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod met with Gov. Quinn's Chief of Staff Jerry Stermer following a press conference at the Capitol. Paul Black, director of Communication Ministries, represented Illinois Great Rivers Conference at the event. View press conference: http://www.ilcaaap.org/events/press_conference/2009-05-28/video.php
Gambling is a menace to society.
Bishop Palmer included a link to the The United Methodist Social Principles (¶163G) that states:
Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government. As an act of faith and concern, Christians should abstain from gambling and should strive to minister to those victimized by the practice. … The church should promote standards and personal lifestyles that would make unnecessary and undesirable the resort to commercial gambling — including public lotteries — as a recreation, as an escape, or as a means of producing public revenue or funds for support of charities or government.
“The United Methodist perspective on gambling could not be more relevant to the revenue issues were are facing in Illinois,” Palmer emphasized in his electronic letter. “Time is of the utmost essence.”
A spokesperson issued a statement that the governor is "considering all sides of the issue," Palmer pointed out. “Now the governor needs to hear from you,” he said.
Palmer urged calling the governor's office at (217) 782-0244 or to complete the contact form on the governor's website.
Palmer’s letter included talking points for callers:
History shows government cannot co-exist, and that gambling interests will ultimately corrupt government.
Government-sponsored gambling is second only to Big Oil and oil dependence as the most threatening catalyst for worldwide economic and financial destabilization.
Crime jumps 10% in areas with casinos, personal bankruptcies soar 18-42% and the number of new, addicted gamblers doubles.
Despite job creation claims by the gambling industry, 90% of gambling revenue goes into slot machines, which create no new employment.
For more on alcohol and other additions, visit the Alcohol & Other Addictions page on the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) website: Alcohol & Other Addictions.
Action Network
The Rev. Cynthia Abrams, GBCS director of the Alcohol, Other Addictions and Health Care program area, supervises an “Action Network” that provides legislative updates, educational resources and identifies opportunities to act on issues involving alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, gambling and pornography. Information focuses on addiction recovery, prevention and regulation. She issues “action alerts” periodically through e-mail.
Joining the Alcohol & Other Addictions Action Network is free: go to umpower.org or click on My GBCS on the General Board of Church and Society Web site, www.umc-gbcs.org. You can also contact Donna Brandyberry, (202) 488-5641.
Cynthia Abrams can be reached at (202) 488-5636.
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