Editorial: Gambling under the microscope

Monday, Nov. 9, 1998 | 9:18 a.m.

The National Gambling Impact Study Commission meets in Las Vegas this week, getting a first-hand account of gambling's impact on this city.

Las Vegans obviously are anxious about the commission's visit. After all, how often does Congress create a federal commission to study a legal industry? Considering how profitable this industry has become there also is a fear that a cash-strapped Congress might look to further tax gaming.

Admittedly, the gaming industry's inaction on issues over the years in dealing with its warts -- such as problem gambling -- practically invited Congress to appoint a federal commission. But the fact that the industry may have stumbled in the past doesn't mean that an unfair investigation is warranted.

But too often in this commission's short life some of its members and staff have stacked meetings in order to paint an unflattering portrait of gaming. Local and state officials in Nevada have expressed a similar concern about the commission's agenda for its Las Vegas meeting. But if the commissioners take an unbiased look at Las Vegas, they might end up being surprised.

Along with being the leader in the development of gaming, Nevada also has put in place the best regulatory controls over this industry. When other states legalize gaming, it's no surprise that they use Nevada as a regulatory model, one which has been able to virtually stamp out corruption in the industry in this state.

The commission will also find that the industry is attempting to set straight some of the problems it has too often ignored in the past, including problem gambling. State regulators and the industry itself are taking important steps to investigate this issue and determine its severity. Just last week the Nevada Gaming Commission approved regulations requiring casino employees to undergo problem gambling awareness training.

Those commissioners who haven't spent much time in Las Vegas should take an opportunity to get out and meet the people here. They'll find when talking to them that they're very much like their hometown neighbors, confronting the same types of issues they do, whether it's a desire for better public education or easing traffic congestion.

When the commission presents its report to Congress in June 1999, we hope that it's a thorough document that is an accurate representation of the state of gaming in the nation today. Las Vegans don't expect a whitewash, they just seek fairness.