http://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/no-movement-gambling

Texas Monthly’s Paul Burka isn’t exactly crying the blues over the prospect that the current Texas Legislature isn’t going to bring gambling slot machines into the Lone Star State.

I concur with Burka. Gambling is a sucker’s bet if there ever was one.

The man’s major point is that little economic development accrues with gambling. It creates jobs, say, for card dealers, cashiers, cocktail waitresses, security personnel and assorted other staffers. But the lure of casino gambling just doesn’t amount to much.

I used to live near the Sabine River, which borders Texas and Louisiana. And occasionally I would venture to Lake Charles, La., where they’ve had riverboat gambling for years. They have fancy riverboats with casinos on board moored on the Calcesieu River. Folks would flock from Texas and other neighboring states to “Lake Chuck” to gamble. They poured a lot of money into the casinos. But when you looked at the surroundings on shore, you saw little impact of the boats on the community. Downtown Lake Charles still looked pretty deserted as I recall … for years after the riverboats docked on the river.

The point is that casino gambling — even allowing slot machines at racetracks — is far from an instant fix for any state that’s interested in economic development. Burka seems a bit more enamored of full-scale casinos. I’m not a fan of those, either.

My own preference is to foster economic development without preying on people’s desire to win big money in a hurry. When you’re playing against The House, there can be just one winner — and it isn’t you.