 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! |
Gaming News
Tennessee Senator: Lottery Opponents Exaggerate Teen Gambling Problem3 May 2002TENNESSEE – As reported by the Tennessean: "State Sen. Steve Cohen says opponents to a Tennessee lottery are so misleading about the number of teens who have gambling problems in Georgia that ''the inventors of Silly Putty never envisioned a stretch that great.'' "…Yesterday, Cohen held a news conference to rebut many of the statements put out by the Tennessee Gambling Free Alliance, including those made on a videotape distributed to churches and other groups. About 4,000 have been distributed statewide. "Cohen, a Democrat from Memphis, said he is simply taking the group up on its guarantee of accuracy. Among the most misleading statements, Cohen said, is the group's contention that 'as many as 17,700 kids now have a compulsive gambling problem as a result of the lottery in Georgia.' "Cohen said a 1996 study interviewed 1,007 adolescents in Georgia and extrapolated that 8,400-17,700 are at risk for many types of gambling, not just the lottery. "…Tennessee Gambling Free stands by its statement, said Michael Gilstrap, campaign director for the group. "…Another point of contention is Cohen's comment that scholarship money raised by the lottery will keep Tennessee's brightest students in state schools, whether public or private. "Gilstrap said federal education data show more students come to Tennessee to attend college than leave to attend elsewhere…" |