BISHOP LEIBRECHT SAYS THE STATE DEPENDS TOO MUCH ON GAMBLING

BENTON -- Catholic Bishop John J. Leibrecht says Missouri seems headed on a dangerous course toward dependency on gambling revenue to fill state coffers.

A friendly game of bingo is a far cry from what Leibrecht and other Missouri Catholic bishops see as a troublesome public policy in the state.

Leibrecht, bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, visited St. Denis Church in Benton Saturday and this morning. He is scheduled to conduct a Latin mass at noon at Old St. Vincent Church in Cape Girardeau and conduct a 2:30 p.m. mass at St. Mary's Cathedral for couples celebrating their wedding anniversary.

"Some Christian churches consider gambling immoral," Leibrecht said Saturday. "The Catholic church believes gambling is not sinful in itself. It is a form of entertainment. Gambling can become immoral if it is excessive and money needed for the family or other worthwhile things is spent on gambling."

Likewise, he said, Missouri seems headed toward an excess of gaming in the state.

"This is not just entertainment," Leibrecht said. "The state has to have money for taxes and for them to get it, they have encourage you to gamble.

"I and other Catholic bishops are concerned that Missouri is becoming more and more dependent on tax dollars through gambling," Leibrecht said. "The state is now encouraging people to gamble through ads on television and radio."

He said looking to gambling for state revenue seems to have become the rule for the state rather than an exception.

"It went from the lottery to horse racing and now to riverboat gambling," the bishop said. "We believe that this is a public policy that is not the best."

He fears state government could become dependent on gambling for tax income. But gambling enterprises likely are not bottomless sources of money.

"Eventually, the gambling will not be able to take care of the taxes," he said. "And people will have been taught that taxes should come through easy ways, like gambling. They will be reticent to pay honestly the revenue that the state needs."