Officially released on June 19, the NGISC's (mentioned in the
March 9, 1999 Scout Report for Social Sciences) final report to Congress, the President, and state governors reveals that casino gambling is America's third-favorite leisure activity in terms of money spent, after video, audio, and computer equipment and books and newspapers. While noting the incentives for development and jobs created by casinos in local areas, the report also discusses the financial and human cost of pathological gambling. The report goes on to make 76 specific recommendations, none of which carry any legal weight. However, the Commission studiously avoids what many feel is the fundamental question: Do the social costs of gambling outweigh its economic benefits? As a result, both opponents and proponents of legalized gambling have embraced the report, claiming specific portions of it vindicate their position. Users may download the report in .pdf format in nine sections or in its entirety at the site.
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