What are the city of Ottumwa leaders thinking when they pursue a goal of bringing a casino into Ottumwa? Are they looking for a quick source of revenue? Have they considered the long-term cost of such an endeavor to our community?

US News and World Report says crime rates are higher in places with gambling — nearly double. Do we want crime rates here to increase? When legalized gambling comes to a new area, a 100-to-500-percent rise occurs in compulsive gamblers. At least two-thirds of those gamblers turn to crime to finance their addiction. Who has the money to reform these addicts and restore the victims of crime?

What effects on the family does a casino have? One county in Mississippi had 500 more divorces after a gambling casino opened there. A six-fold increase in child protection cases followed the year after the arrival of a casino in a Colorado city.

Gambling entices you to thinking you’ll become wealthy, using deception.... You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning. Taking advantage of the poor, gambling robs families of the money needed to provide food, shelter and clothing. As a result of gambling debts, one-fifth of compulsive gamblers attempt suicide. Is this the economic liability and dangerous social impact that we want brought to our community?

Wanda Crosser

Eddyville