Disposable Income Going To Gambling

Our news had a very interesting story Tuesday. It was a review of state records on the amount of money wagered on video gaming in Fairfield, Cisne and the entire county.

The numbers were jaw-dropping.

In Fairfield alone during the month of March, gamblers spent $102,000 dollars. That figure does not include the lottery or folks who venture to the riverboats. Obviously, there is a lot of disposable money in Wayne County.

What a colossal waste of resources.

The average Wayne Countian drops $10 bucks a month on video gaming. Somebody is spending my ten bucks. I only throw away a few bucks a month on Lotto. I never win a penny.

I now understand why convenience stores fight to get the machines. I also understand that everybody in government is getting a piece of the action. That makes it all-the-more upsetting because the state made $43-grand in tax revenue in March on video gaming while it was stiffing our schools.

I do not begrudge the smart businessperson who installs this electronic gold.

I do question the sad specter of a seasoned citizen sitting at a video gaming machine after cashing out their Social Security checks…

If you take $100-grand and spread it around the Fairfield non-for-profits, you’d cover almost every social need in town….

….with a little left over…