State Revenue In Kentucky Could Be Increased By Gambling

Kentucky, home of ‘The Derby’, is seriously investigating the revenue streams that could be made available by opening the doors to more legalized gambling at seven of its State racetracks. According to Forbes.com, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is especially interested in video gaming devices, which they foresee as adding hundreds of millions to the state funds.

Possible scenarios were brought up and figures generated at the meeting of the Kentucky appropriations and Revenue committee last week. Democratic representative and backer of bill158, Rick Rand, stated that, “the increased income [from the bill] by adding video gambling to horse tracks could generate badly needed revenue for many of the state’s financially troubled agencies.”
Such lucrative mines are sure to generate unrest and controversy throughout the anti-gambling lobby stateside. Nancy Jo Kemper, head of the Kentucky Council of Churches feels that the passing of any such bill would increase the societal problems that accompany the lure of widespread gambling. There is also feeling that such measures would merely move money around the economy rather than create, causing a ‘zero-sum’ scenario.

Say No to Casinos spokesman Martin Cothran compared it to a modern day story of Robin Hood. The equivalent to robbing from the poor and feeding the coffers of the rich he said in an interview. “We still think this is an unconstitutional millionaire's bailout. This is Robin Hood in reverse. What this manipulative kind of gambling does is take money from the poor and gives it to the rich.”

What adds to the controversy is that the move comes on the back of a move by state governor Steve Beshear to seize over 140 gambling domain names registered in the state, a move that at first was granted and then blocked on appeal. Rumors of a ‘one rule for one and one rule for others’ state are beginning to circulate.