Message boards :
Politics :
when is the TRUTH gonna be known....
Message board moderation
Previous · 1 . . . 7 · 8 · 9 · 10
Author | Message |
---|---|
![]() ![]() Send message Joined: 21 Jun 01 Posts: 21804 Credit: 2,815,091 RAC: 0 ![]() |
Tribes risking integrity of casino games San Diego Union-Tribune editorial May 5, 2008 How is it that California's rich gambling tribes can see the value of getting involved in good community causes on the one hand and be so tone deaf on other matters – whether they are simple public relations or fundamental questions of integrity? As Union-Tribune reporter James P. Sweeney has reported, most of the state's often fractious gambling tribes have united around opposition to the California Gambling Control Commission's effort to establish minimum standards for the conduct of games, cash handling, accounting and other aspects of internal security. Gamblers pump nearly $8 billion into this industry annually, and the tribes in turn contribute more than $500 million in annual revenue to the California treasury under agreements with the state. Consumers deserve to know whether the games are fair, and the general public needs to know that the money that flows through the casinos is adequately accounted for. The tribes and the commission have negotiated for about a year over the imposition of standards, but have reached an impasse. Essentially, the tribes have taken the position that there is no need for uniform minimum standards in the first place. In any case, they contend, their sovereignty under federal law renders the state powerless to unilaterally impose the regulations. Now, these are the same tribes that have recently blocked efforts in the Legislature to allow churches and charities from expanding their bingo operations. And, these are the tribes that blithely downplayed the gambling commission's recent finding that 40 percent of the slot machines at seven casinos – including Viejas, Pala and Pauma in San Diego County – use outdated software. The commission found that the faulty software sometimes miscalculates potentially huge progressive jackpots – always in favor of the house. The commission's report also found that many slots had not received software upgrades to better track the money fed into the machines. You would think someone in tribal leadership would recognize that Indian casinos are in need of a PR win about now. They must know that at some point discerning gamblers will eschew their lure for other betting options if they cannot be certain that games are played fairly and payouts made accurately. We welcome the resolve of Dean Shelton, chairman of the state gambling commission, who has warned the tribes that he is ready to impose the standards unilaterally. The tribes have said they will fight such an effort in court. Fine. But litigating against minimum standards would be one more example of the tribes' collective tin ear when it comes to consumer and public relations. Why not agree to transparent standards that assure the integrity of casino games and equipment and confirm that the state is getting its negotiated share of revenue. In the meantime, we applaud the gambling commission's apparent resolve to take action on an important issue for California consumers and taxpayers. me@rescam.org |
![]() ![]() Send message Joined: 29 Sep 06 Posts: 6418 Credit: 8,893 RAC: 0 ![]() |
It is a matter of integrity. no matter how noble the reasons are, the ends almost never justify the means. They want to be integr? Then they first should stop being involved in the business of theAs addicting gamblig. Account frozen... |
©2025 University of California
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.