There are good and bad aspects of gambling. Compulsive gambling can have dire consequences. “I’ve seen a lot of family problems, mom is secretly gambling, running up credit cards…it can lead to a break up of the family” said Clementine Rice, PHD and a Professor at the MSU College of nursing. But gambling is meant to be a form of entertainment and for most of the population it is. Gambling also contributes to the economy. “It provides a lot of jobs in these neighborhood bars and if it wasn’t for games they would probably have to go out of business,” said Tom Hiesler of the Classic 50s Casino. In fact, the gaming industry brings in $60 million in taxes each year. Critics say that’s not as impressive as it sounds. “60 million sound great until you realize that’s only about 2.8% of the budget” said local paint storeowner Ben Forsyth. In fact, Forsyth claims it’s actually hurting the economy. “There are a lot of ways it costs the taxpayer the average citizen may not be aware of” he said. He cited the cost of gambling associated crime and covering the bankruptcy and medical costs of those who have lost it all.
The head of the state Gambling Control Division Gene Huntington doesn’t disagree with all the critics have to say. “I think they make valid points…the decision’s been made in Montana to provide gambling…No questions those dollars might be spent somewhere else.” So do changes need to be made to the industry? Hiesler doesn’t think so. “It seems to me about right. I don’t think we need anymore. What we have now is pretty minimal” he said. Forsyth cited a number of ideas from putting the Gambler’s Anonymous phone number on the machines to getting rid of them altogether. Rice calls for more research and Huntington said, “what we’re missing that we see in other states has to be the public information about problem gambling and hopefully down the road we’ll see that in Montana.”