Casino promoters challenged to “produce the evidence” before any action is taken to amend the State’s Constitution
New York, NY—January 3, 2012—Many of New York’s economists from the state’s leading colleges and universities agree that casino gambling is a bad bet for the Empire State, according to the results of an opinion survey released Tuesday. In fact, a majority of the economists who answered the survey view casinos as regressive.

The findings, released by the Center for Thrift and Generosity at the Institute for American Values, a New York City think tank with a focus on addressing America’s personal debt crisis, directly contradict Governor Andrew Cuomo and other state officials who have claimed casino gambling will benefit New York.

“Legalized casino gambling encourages people to pin their hopes on games of chance that are stacked against them,” said Cornell University economist Prof. Robert Frank, one of the respondents to the survey. “Those who are determined to...