Focus on the Family Position Statement on Gambling, Part 2
Focus on the Family opposes all forms of legalized gambling for both moral and pragmatic reasons.
Focus on the Family opposes all forms of legalized gambling for both moral and pragmatic reasons. We believe the net societal effect of our government's embrace of gambling has been disastrous.
Gambling is an economic negative. Many states and communities embrace gambling as a means to generate additional revenues as well as to inspire economic growth, boost tourism and create jobs. Gambling's ability to do all of these is either greatly exaggerated or nonexistent. For instance, gambling often hurts, not helps, existing businesses by siphoning away discretionary dollars that might otherwise have been spent at local shops. Also, the social costs associated with gambling — such as losses due to crime, additional law enforcement costs, gambling addiction treatment costs, and lost work productivity — are staggering, often far exceeding a state or community's total revenues from gambling.
Legalized gambling devastates families. Authorities in gambling jurisdictions report dramatic increases in divorce, suicide, bankruptcy, and child abuse and domestic violence related to gambling. Research shows that children of gambling addicts experience lower levels of mental health and physical well-being.
Given these and other considerations, it is unconscionable that our government would continue to allow — and even promote — gambling activities. Legalized gambling is ravaging the lives of untold thousands of individuals and families, and contributes substantially to the moral decay of our communities. Therefore, we believe legalized gambling, in all its forms, should and must be vigorously opposed.
Read Dr. Dobson's newsletters in response to serving on the National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC).