EDITORIAL
Stressed lawmakers must resist gambling

The nation's pro-gambling lobbyists are smacking their lips as they contemplate 50 state legislatures facing their worst fiscal outlook in decades.

They know lawmakers are always on the lookout for the easier way out, and proponents of gambling never fail to sell their "sport" as a something-for-nothing proposition.

It's become clear, however, that there's only one standard for American gambling — Las Vegas. And while states and localities may wish to emulate Vegas, they often come up short, leaving the country dotted with seedy taverns with video poker machines that simply compete with each other.

"People do not fly across the country to gamble in South Dakota saloons," observed The New York Times, "and there is no long-term economic payoff in enticing locals to ante up. The all-too-distressing reality created by gambling's spread is more crime, more addiction and more local businesses being cannibalized."

The gambling lobbyists will be here, too, in a few days for the opening of the Hawai'i Legislature, where lawmakers, like their counterparts across the country, are tempted by a new source of revenue.

In short, the other states are doing a great job of demonstrating why Hawai'i has been wise to resist.

But Hawai'i has yet a reason of its own to remain gambling-free: Because it's one of the last spots in America to be free from gambling, the Aloha State's image as a wholesome family destination is strongly enhanced, boosting our competitive advantage.

As with the other 49 legislatures, the pressure for Hawai'i lawmakers to bend to gambling's lure will be strong this year. But as always, it's a losing proposition.