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Headlines : Studies Say Casinos Won't Increase Crime The way Sgt. Tim Shalhoob sees it, if you build a new shopping center, the odds of seeing an increase in shoplifting are good. If you build a casino, the odds that financial crimes will increase are just as good, he said. Shalhoob, a detective who has been with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department for more than 25 years, has spent the last four years working in the Tourist Safety Unit. Last year, his unit, which polices the roughly 120 casinos in Vegas, investigated 5,000 crimes - all of them related to gambling. "Gaming brings money to a town, money brings opportunists," Shalhoob said. "It brings opportunists from inside your state and from outside." There are two competing plans on the Nov. 2 ballot to legalize casino gambling in Nebraska. Amendment 3 would allow two casinos in the state, with locations to be figured out later. Initiatives 417 through 420 seek two casinos in Omaha, with an additional 4,900 video poker and slot machines at locations throughout the state. The question is, would the gambling industry bring with it increased bank robberies, thefts, forgery, embezzlement or even prostitution? Those who study the relationship between gambling and crime say that while there is a correlation between the two, the crime rate likely won't be affected in Midwestern cities similar to those found in Nebraska. In Vegas, Shalhoob says in his work, crime is most definitely related to the industry. But those arguing for and against casinos in Nebraska agree that any potential gambling and tourism here wouldn't be on the same scale as that in Nevada. Still, some people are concerned about a possible increase in crime. Mark Nichols, an associated professor of economics at the University of Nevada at Reno's Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming said his studies have shown little change in crime rates when casinos are built - especially in smaller, Midwestern towns similar to Omaha. He also points out that Omaha already has casinos nearby in Council Bluffs, Iowa. While the Legislature had little discussion about crime when considering whether to put Amendment 3 on the ballot, Sen. Pam Brown said she is confident if it should pass, senators will heavily regulate the industry and possibly enlist the help of law enforcement. Even if law enforcement officials, policy makers and industry experts can't predict what will happen to Nebraska's crime rates if expanded gambling is introduced, they all agree that one way to make sure the rate doesn't go up is to address problem gambling. The state already funds a compulsive gambling program, but Brown said if Amendment 3 passes that effort would be expanded.
Headlines : Studies Say Casinos Won't Increase Crime The way Sgt. Tim Shalhoob sees it, if you build a new shopping center, the odds of seeing an increase in shoplifting are good. If you build a casino, the odds that financial crimes will increase are just as good, he said. Shalhoob, a detective who has been with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department for more than 25 years, has spent the last four years working in the Tourist Safety Unit. Last year, his unit, which polices the roughly 120 casinos in Vegas, investigated 5,000 crimes - all of them related to gambling. "Gaming brings money to a town, money brings opportunists," Shalhoob said. "It brings opportunists from inside your state and from outside." There are two competing plans on the Nov. 2 ballot to legalize casino gambling in Nebraska. Amendment 3 would allow two casinos in the state, with locations to be figured out later. Initiatives 417 through 420 seek two casinos in Omaha, with an additional 4,900 video poker and slot machines at locations throughout the state. The question is, would the gambling industry bring with it increased bank robberies, thefts, forgery, embezzlement or even prostitution? Those who study the relationship between gambling and crime say that while there is a correlation between the two, the crime rate likely won't be affected in Midwestern cities similar to those found in Nebraska. In Vegas, Shalhoob says in his work, crime is most definitely related to the industry. But those arguing for and against casinos in Nebraska agree that any potential gambling and tourism here wouldn't be on the same scale as that in Nevada. Still, some people are concerned about a possible increase in crime. Mark Nichols, an associated professor of economics at the University of Nevada at Reno's Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming said his studies have shown little change in crime rates when casinos are built - especially in smaller, Midwestern towns similar to Omaha. He also points out that Omaha already has casinos nearby in Council Bluffs, Iowa. While the Legislature had little discussion about crime when considering whether to put Amendment 3 on the ballot, Sen. Pam Brown said she is confident if it should pass, senators will heavily regulate the industry and possibly enlist the help of law enforcement. Even if law enforcement officials, policy makers and industry experts can't predict what will happen to Nebraska's crime rates if expanded gambling is introduced, they all agree that one way to make sure the rate doesn't go up is to address problem gambling. The state already funds a compulsive gambling program, but Brown said if Amendment 3 passes that effort would be expanded.