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Preview: The Big Gamble

January 6, 2011 2:41 PM

Lesley Stahl reports on the proliferation of gambling to 38 states and its main attraction, the slot machine, newer versions of which some scientists believe may addict their players. Sunday, Jan. 9, 7 p.m. ET/PT.

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by ereese July 31, 2011 7:27 PM EDT
Why not address ALCOHOL addiction???? How much money is involved with the selling of alcohol? How many gamblers accidentally kill people? Come on... find a better topic than gambling to make a big deal about.
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by TaraB2B January 14, 2011 11:31 AM EST
Gosh, I hope this doesn't damage my governor's shot at becoming the new co-host of a struggling morning cable news show. This is the first time cameras have caught Mr. Rendell's famed murky-side. It'd be tragic if he can't retire to "balancing" an AM Java panel whose current male host insists upon dragging the viewpoint from left to center. Please pull this video clip down until the ink's dry on his net contract. K?
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by the____watcher January 9, 2011 8:24 PM EST
All I can say to this megalomaniac governor is come January 18th, "Thank GOD and Greyhound, you're gone"!!! Buh-Bye you worthless POS.
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by clifton100 January 9, 2011 8:08 PM EST
I wish your station would do a story about the two casinos in conn., the original plan was that the revenue to be be generated was to help reduce the taxpayer's burden, well after all these past years, and with all of the millions & millions going to the state from CASINOS the STATE now is BROKE , and the taxpayer is still stuck with taxes going up on a daily basis with no end in sight. Seems to me the taxpayer gets the shaft.
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by Toddd1001 January 9, 2011 8:03 PM EST
"The Casino in pittsburgh, now theres a story, a casino in the midle of a city that has the worst unemployment rate. Look into the books of that one. Are the taxpayers paying for that one. Aint no way there making payments."

What are you talking about?! Where in the world did you come up with that?! Now there's a "simpleton." Pittsburgh's economy is great, and while the actual 'delineated' City of Pittsburgh isn't as thriving as the regions around it, most people work in the city. So 3 million people make up the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area, you'll find most of those regions are doing very well. Check the unemployment rates in Allegheny County which encompasses the City. Pittsburgh's unemployment is way better than most cities. I live ten minutes outside of the city and our unemployment rate is 4%. You are literally making up that Pittsburgh's unemployment is bad. It couldn't be further from the truth, and far better than the nation's overall. Not to mention, the real estate is outstanding. Never dipped, continues to give positive return every year as the second rated best real estate market in the country. You may not agree with casinos, but Pittsburgh is doing very, very well. How clueless!!
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by AbdurRahmanX January 9, 2011 7:57 PM EST
I saw the 60 minutes feature on Governor Rendell. The question you should have asked him after he kept insisting that "people will do it anyway" is: Then soon we can expect Pennsylvania to implement the legalization of hard narcotics and prostitution since these activities have been going on since the dawn of man and are done whether the state participates or not? I am not an economist, but the simple fact that 38 state governments miss is that all economic activity is not positive activity. Just as when crack invades a neighborhood, there is money being circulated that would not otherwise occur, the same holds true for gambling. But the proper spirit of capitalism in America is that we regulate and encourage activity that exchanges goods and services that create for a better nation, community and a better world. The negative transaction of a gambler losing money brings no real service or good into the community and instead is a negative vacuum where the state and a few at the top are winners and the people who don't know better are losers and that makes for weaker communities and a weaker nation. Healthy economic activity creates a lot of winners. Gambling creates only a few winners, many losers and no real services or goods to the state of Pennsylvania. That is why it was so illegal for so many years. Or more simply put, just because someone shows you a way to make money does not mean the money is good money. Literate, upper class people don't become addicted to gambling. We are slouching towards illiteracy as a nation and the Governor wants to exploit people as a solution instead of striving to spread literacy.
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by dakota-kid January 9, 2011 7:45 PM EST
I understand the concerns over casinos poping up everywhere and the problems they bring with them. But with states competing with each other for those dollars it makes it tough to stop them. Here in South Dakota we have a large casino being built across the border, in an Iowa corn field, approximately 8 miles from Sioux Falls, the largest population center in South Dakota. The Gaming Commission of Iowa made it clear when the reviewed the applications for various locations that they favored this particular site because studies had shown that 80% of the expected revenue would be coming from out-of-state visitors. This casino will reportly draw approximately 60 million tax dollars out of the state of South Dakota at a time when the state is struggling to find money to balance the budget. So my question is what is a state to do when your neighboring states continue to prey on your citizens?
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by jeffrey60446 January 9, 2011 7:43 PM EST
There are more states with gambling problems. I live in Illinois and they want to raise state income tax but they still keep building casinos. It looks lke the city of Chicago will finally get one. They keep building usually in depressed areas to build income. I am tired of hearing about no money for schools when that was the big lobby for the lottery systems. Maybe it is these politicians that are simpletons and are just plain greedy,
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by oldrider57 January 9, 2011 7:40 PM EST
I live in Pittsburgh region so I feel qualified to comment on your piece regarding gambling and the Pennsylvania gambling casinos. First, I think your piece was very biased against gambling! You have people quoting numbers and percentages without any backup in an attempt to have you believe the "sky is falling". If you spent any time truly investigating you would find out the majority of Pennsylvanians agreed with gambling in out state. The governor was right......Lesley Stahl...you don't get it. Shame on you for editing your story and trying to portray the governor of Pennsylvania in such a bad light. I really thought you people were above such tactics.
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by GolferUSA January 9, 2011 7:39 PM EST
Leslie,

I don't gamble, but If I want to go to the casino once or twice every three months, I should be able to. I am sick of being punished because some lame brain, ding bat weaklins cannot control themselves.They blame everything and everybody else, except themselves. When are you going to let people fix their problems. Stay out of my life and everyone elses. I don't like gambling in my state because it brings in prostitution, crime and crybabies.
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