Video Game Plan
Air Date:02/08/2012
Legislation to increase the number of video lottery machines in a licensed establishment passed the Senate State Affairs committee.
Opponents voiced strong opposition to the bill. Dale Bartscher is a lobbyist for the family heritage alliance action of South Dakota.
He says video lottery has gained a steady stream of revenue in the state but has also been the cause of many broken lives.
"Video lottery has been called the crack cocaine of the gaming industry because of its highly addictive nature. A study conducted by the mountain plains a few years ago found that for every one million spent on video lottery we buy 172 crimes as a result. These crimes can range from burglary and bad checks to child neglect when parents leave children unattended or let them go hungry while their addiction is fed," Bartscher said.
Proponents of the bill say the legislation allows licensed video lottery establishments to include additional machines to a maximum number of 14.
After an amendment the bill passed out of committee. It's headed for the senate floor next.
By Marcus Brooks
Click here for audio
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