The Regular Person’s Guide to the

Maryland Slot Machine Referendum

Assessment of Proponents’ and Opponents’ Claims

Claim 7: Slots in Maryland will increase the prevalence of gambling problems.

ASSESSMENT:  TRUE

The existence of “pathological gambling” and “problem gambling” are well recognized and well documented.  It is pretty clear that gambling problems increase when gambling opportunities are brought closer.

Problem gambling is less severe than pathological gambling, but still can cause problems for the individual and his or her family. The essential features of problem gambling are increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, "chasing" losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting, serious, negative consequences. In extreme cases, pathological and problem gambling can result in financial ruin, legal problems, loss of career and family, or even suicide(1).  Estimates of problem gambling range from approximately 1.0 to 1.5 percent of the population on the low end, to 6.5 to 9 percent on the high side and appear to depend on whether or not pathological gambling is separated from problem gambling(2)(3).

Pathological gamblers have a hard time resisting or controlling the impulse to gamble. In people who develop pathological gambling, occasional gambling leads to a gambling habit. Stressful situations can worsen gambling problems(4).

Slot machine gambling is a particularly “addictive” form of gambling.  The design of the game play, the ability to place numerous bets in a short time, and the design of the venues are all calculated to encourage the gambler to keep playing.  An Australian study (5) found table games, lotteries, or racing to be “more addictive” than slot machines using selected measures, so it’s not clear we can rightly call slots “the most addictive form of gambling.” 

The policy question for voters is not whether problem gambling exists, but whether adding the five slot machine sites in Maryland will increase problem gambling in Maryland.  After all, problem gamblers in Maryland already have opportunities to gamble legally and illegally, in-state and out-of-state.  Several studies identify a correlation between proximity to a gambling venue and problem gambling, although the causal link has not been rigorously established.

The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute judges that the establishment of slot locations in Maryland would increase the incidence of problem gambling.  It is important to note that the enabling legislation requires the operators to pay up to $6.4 million to the state annually for programs to address compulsive gambling(5).

(1) National Council on Problem Gambling. FAQ: What is problem gambling? n.d. 24 July 2008 <http://www.ncpgambling.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageID=3314>

(2) Hemphill, Thomas. 2003 Video slot gaming in Maryland: weighing the costs and benefits. The Maryland Public Policy Institute.

(3) Volberg, Rachel A. 2001. When the chips are down: problem gambling in America. Century Foundation Press.

(4) U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Institute of Health. MedlinePlus. definition of pathological gambling. n.d. 24 July 2008 <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/aboutmedlineplus.html>.

(5) Dowling, N., Smith, D., & Thomas, T. (2005). Electronic gaming machines: Are they the 'crack cocaine' of gambling? . Addiction, 100, 33-45.

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