Back in April, Mose noted the contrast between Illinois -- where lawmakers continue efforts to expand gambling -- and numerous other states across the country that have retreated from gaming as a cure-all for their budget woes. Today, the Tribune reports on a new study from the Rockefeller Institute which provides yet more evidence that gambling is waning as a dependable revenue source. Indeed, proceeds last month from Illinois' nine casinos were apparently "down 14 percent from May 2007." The article quotes one of the report's authors singling out Illinois' dependance on gaming revenue, while noting that it's not "a real winner ... in the long term":
Whatever the reason, study authors say states shouldn’t rely on gambling as a growth stream, given their findings.
Illinois counts on gambling for about 4 percent of its state revenue—a figure nearly double the national average of 2.3 percent, according to Robert Ward, deputy director of the Rockefeller Institute and co-author of the study.
“States have become very reliant on gambling revenue, Illinois more so than most,” Ward said. “Adding gambling operations can help solve short-term budgetary needs. It’s not going to be a real winner of a solution in the long term.”
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