The Facts
Many researchers have found that the economic costs associated with gambling cancel out the revenues with net-zero financial gains or result in an overall financial loss.
Costs associated with gambling include:
* reduction of state lottery revenues,
* increased regulatory costs for gambling,
* criminal justice spending to counter an 8% to 13% increase in crime,
* lost state and local revenue resulting from diversion of spending from goods and services to gambling, and
* lost jobs resulting from decreased spending on non-gambling goods and services.
Recommendations
Do not expand or further legalize gambling in Texas.
To address any potential budget shortfalls, Texas policy makers should reduce wasteful or unnecessary government spending.