RIVERBOAT GAMBLING: TOURISM, CRIME, EDUCATION AND MORAL QUESTIONS

Herb Fallert represents District 152 in the Missouri legislature. He lives in Ste. Genevieve.

Riverboat gambling is a powerful new tourism industry component and on Nov. 3 Missouri voters have a rare opportunity to promote tourism and provide our state with a much needed economic boost that will provide new sources of tax revenue without having to raise taxes to pay for it.

In the Aug. 4 primary, Missouri voters overwhelmingly passed Amendment #11, which says that, from now on, all lottery proceeds go to education, and all future state-sanctioned gambling revenues, such as riverboat gambling, are mandated specifically and exclusively for education.

Missing link

Riverboat gambling is the missing link that will increase the highly profitable tourism, convention and trade show business already in Missouri. It will not only attract out-of-state tourist dollars, but it will also give our own state residents good reasons to spend their recreational gambling dollars here rather than elsewhere.

It will attract new private investment and produce increased sales of goods and services for vendors and suppliers throughout the state. Simply stated, Proposition A is one referendum that literally means business for Missouri.

Budget tours not high rollers

There have been some charges made by opponents of riverboat gambling that it will "attract criminals and crime." The honest answer to that is riverboat gambling not only has NOT done that in Iowa and Illinois, it has actually been credited with causing a REDUCTION in crime in Iowa, the state whose riverboat gambling laws served as the model for Missouri's proposed laws.

Among the reasons for this "non-crime factor" is the fact that formerly deserted riverfronts are now well lit and bursting with activity. And the fact is that when employment numbers go up, crime statistics go down.

At least half of each Missouri boat must be reserved for dining and for recreational activities of non-gamblers and children. The target market of riverboat gambling is family groups, senior citizen tours and other "budget recreational gamblers," not the high rollers. These are the same kind of folks who will come here and enjoy all of the other tourist attractions Missouri has to offer only in greater numbers than ever before.

The moral question

I know that some Missourians are staunchly opposed to gambling of any kind on personal, moral grounds. They believe there are better ways for people to spend their recreational dollars better ways for government to raise needed additional tax revenues. They are stating their case clearly and forcefully. And they will vote their conscience in November, as they should.

That's how the democratic process works and should work.

Increasing tourism

Tourism is now the second largest industry in Missouri. Perhaps the final push we need to make tourism Missouri's number one industry is the powerful new riverboat gambling component.

That's why whenever I'm asked if riverboat gambling would be a good deal for Missouri, I can truthfully and enthusiastically answer in just two words: "You bet!"