The Powerful Gambling Lobby in Harrisburg

Jul 2, 2009 | 0 comments

Michael Geer with Thursday’s Family Update:

Before casino gambling came to Pennsylvania, legalized in the wee hours of Sunday morning, July 4th, 2004, we warned that the gambling lobby would become the 800-pound gorilla in state government. They would throw money and influence around like candy, and the legislature would increasingly do its bidding. It’s happened in every state that legalized casino gambling.

Here we are, just a couple of short years after the first casino opened, and we’re seeing just how true that is. A just- released report by Common Cause of Pennsylvania shows that the casino industry contributed more than $4.2 million dollars to Pennsylvania candidates this decade. You can add more than $12 million to that total from casino-employed lawyers, lobbyists and other influence peddlers.

Is it any surprise, then, that our governor and some legislators are pushing for even more casino gambling in our state?

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