GAMBLING MEASURES ARE ONLY REVENUE GIMMICKS

Riverboat gambling tempts Missourians with the promise of big rewards for small outlays. But a dubious record elsewhere suggests that riverboat gambling is more of a bonanza for developers than host cities or states. The potential for increased crime and compulsive gambling further muddy the waters.

Missourians should not bet on riverboat gambling to resolve our financial shortfalls. Proposition A, which would legalize these floating casinos on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, should be defeated Nov. 3.

This issue goes well beyond the moral debate of whether gambling is right or wrong. We find fault in the gimmick. Riverboat gambling is being promoted as a way to supplement tax dollars with education as the supposed big winner. Proponents are courting the same ill will that plagues the Missouri Lottery.

The fact is riverboat gambling will not be a big boon to education. These floating casinos will generate only about $28 million to the state, according to the Missouri Legislative Research Committee. That is no more than a drop in the bucket in Missouri, where over $1 billion is spent on elementary and secondary education annually. Even the lottery proceeds raise about $68 million yearly.

Proponents counter that tourism, not additional tax revenue, is the major draw. That's no sure bet. Missouri's proposed law is much like Iowa's, in that it limits both excursion losses and the portion of the boat dedicated to gaming. Our neighbor Illinois, on the other hand, has no wagering limit and will have boats dedicated 100 percent to gaming. Attracting the family trade may be admirable, but it doesn't bring the payoff of other states without limits, and developers know it.

After one year, floating casinos in Fort Madison and Bettendorf, Iowa, moved to richer waters out of state. The towns were left holding the bag. Fort Madison had even borrowed $2.6 million for riverboat improvements. There is no assurance the same wouldn't occur in Missouri.

The tourism bonanza is also suspect. Many times, boat patrons lose their money on board and have nothing left to spend at local attractions or restaurants. Unlike horse racing, riverboat gambling would come quickly in Missouri. Proponents estimate it would be in up to eight communities the closest being Ste. Genevieve by 1994. Most of these cites will vote on their local option Tuesday.

The lure of supposedly easy money could swell the number of compulsive gamblers as well. Proposition A will allow the state to set aside funds to treat compulsive gamblers. Too often it's the people with the least money to lose who can be found at the gaming tables. And the losses add up to big dollars. Gamblers have lost more than $162 million in Illinois since riverboat gambling began last year; Iowa gamblers have lost $122 million on the river since April of 1991.

That lure of easy money fascinates criminals as well. A study by the former U.S. attorney Thomas Dittmeier in 1990 concluded that "organized crime gets involved with and thrives on casinos."

There are similar concerns for Amendment 3, which would legalize simulcasting of horse races and allow off-track wagering in Missouri. The bottom line of both these gambling measures is that neither will generate enough dollars to significantly improve state income. These are nothing more than gimmicks not solutions to state financial woes. And they come with dangerous strings such as increased crime and compulsive gambling. That's why citizens should vote "No" on Proposition A and Amendment 3.