Quebec seems to be blatently making economic policy out of personal desperation. In a recent Montreal Gazette study, they found that the government of Quebec was far more likely to award a license to operate video lottery terminals in poor neighbourhoods than in others.
Let’s do the math:
(GAMING REVENUES + VLT LICENSE REVENUES + JOBS CREATED + POLITICAL SUPPORT GAINED) minus (NET LOSS OF FAMILY INCOME + SOCIAL SUPPORT COSTS + FUNDING FOR TREATMENT + JOBS LOST + BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS + POLITICAL OPPOSITION) = CASH NOW, PAY LATER.
Worried about future costs? Don’t. Prosperity coming around the corner will take care of those. And, if it doesn’t, it will be someone else’s problem.
check out the study:
http://www.responsiblegambling.org/articles/100402_38.pdf