Legislation would prohibit advertising of gambling

Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005 | 9:31 a.m.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Those Nevada casino billboards advertising "loosest slots in town" would have to go, but you still could learn the Idaho winning lottery numbers under a bill being resurrected by a Logan, Utah, legislator.

Republican Rep. Scott Wyatt said the bill would prohibit the advertising of activities that are illegal in Utah, which could range from some fireworks to prostitution. It is aimed primarily at gambling.

"I would like to see us make the statement that we are not only opposed to gambling in our state, we are opposed to advertising of gambling, and we are opposed to business being set up on our borders that attempt to lure people to those activities that we have made illegal," Wyatt said. "We are losing the revenue and gaining the social costs."

The ban probably would have very little impact on reducing the social costs of gambling, said Frank Pignanelli, lobbyist and legal counsel for West Wendover because problem gamblers generally rely on more convenient outlets, especially the Internet.

"Rep. Wyatt has not demonstrated the harm that the cities of Wendover and Mesquite are causing," he said. "He's talked about bigger problems caused by gambling, but those aren't really caused by casinos. Those are really caused by the Internet, which is much more accessible."