Las Vegas Sun

April 25, 2024

Anti-gambling group holds rally

PITTSBURGH -- About 60 people gathered in Pittsburgh for a rally against legalizing slot machines in Pennsylvania.

A group called No Dice welcomed Tom Grey, the executive director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, to talk about the hazards of gambling.

"The addiction, the bankruptcies, the corruption is known," Grey told the crowd at the South Side Presbyterian Church. He said if only 2 percent of the area's 1 million people became addicted to gambling, that means 40,000 people are going to be "pathological gamblers."

State legislators are considering adding up to 24,000 slot machines at eight existing and new horse and harness racing tracks in Pennsylvania. Gov. Ed Rendell supports the plan, which he says will bolster the state's horse racing industry while providing much-needed tax revenue.

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