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The Curran Report
Although this report was written several years ago, the topic is still relevant for many Marylanders, maybe even more so today. As the question of whether Maryland should legalize slot machine gambling continues to be discussed, I want to reiterate my long-standing concern. Rigorous empirical research has corroborated the conclusion I reached in my report, The House Never Loses and Maryland Cannot Win, that the enormous costs of slot machine gambling would, in the long run, outweigh the benefits to the State. As tempting as the short term infusion of cash would be at a time of budget constraints, I urge Maryland politicians to resist solving immediate fiscal problems by creating far greater difficulties over the long term. Expanding gambling would saddle future generations with the wide-ranging social harms and economic costs that would flow inevitably from this addictive activity. We can and must find better ways to address the needs of our citizens. With this in mind, I hope you find this report useful and informative.
J. Joseph Curran
14 July 2005
