New research suggests more crime near casinos

Marlon Manuel

Thursday, June 17, 1999 | 11:05 a.m.

ATLANTA -- Move a casino into your back yard and it's probably not going to kill you. But every other major crime tracked by the FBI will go up within four years after a casino comes to town, according to a study done jointly by professors at the University of Georgia and the University of Illinois.

The study by Georgia economics Professor David B. Mustard and Illinois economic Professor Earl L. Grinols -- which examined crime rates for every county in the United States from 1977 to 1996 -- concluded that crimes related to casinos cost each American adult $63 in 1996. By comparison, crime brought on by casino gambling cost every adult $1.10 or less until 1984 and between $5 and $9 through 1988.

The crime-related expense of casinos could rise by an estimated $12.1 billion nationally if the gambling expands to other areas of the country, the researchers said.

Except for murder, all major crimes tracked by the FBI -- rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft -- increased significantly after counties allowed casinos to open, according to Mustard's analysis.

From Mississippi to Louisiana, from Nevada to New Jersey, crime rates in casino counties were 8 percent higher after the casinos arrived, Mustard said.

"You will see an increase in the crime rate there greater than if you hadn't brought in a casino," Mustard said Wednesday.

Mustard said his conclusions are probably harsher than the findings of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, which will release its final report Friday. That report will cover all forms of gambling in the United States, including casinos and state-run lotteries.

"The commission is a group of political appointees and three are very friendly with the casino industry," Mustard said. "Wherever you think the truth may be, there's sure to be some political aim" in the commission's report.

The professors' report also goes against current public sentiment. In a Gallup poll released Wednesday, 67 percent of those surveyed said they believe opening a casino helps a community's economy and three-fourths said they approve of state lotteries.

Casinos bring short-term economic benefits at the outset, the study by Mustard and Grinols conceded. Construction jobs surge. Low-skilled workers find work, leading to an initial drop in crime.

"Decaying waterfronts and derelict sections of town that once harbored crime may be less amenable to it when renovation occurs, street lights appear and police presence increases," the study said. "The streets near Las Vegas casinos, even at night, are often cited as some of the safest."

However, by the fourth year, property crimes like larceny -- stealing from cars, pickpocketing, purse-snatching and the like -- rise consistently. The crime increases are in part attributed to pathological gamblers.

"It takes time before they start committing crimes," Mustard said. "It takes time before they start drying up their resources."

The study is expected to fuel debate, particularly in Kentucky, where incumbent Gov. Paul Patton has proposed allowing land-based casinos in order to combat the economic drain caused by casinos in Indiana.

"Where you're considering casinos, you need to look at all the costs and benefits," Mustard said. "Crime is one of the puzzle pieces -- and it's a significant piece.