The final issue of Missouri Southern State University's newspaper, The Chart, for the 2004-2005 academic year was published last week and though the regular issue was solid, as always, the real eyeopener was a special section on gambling in the area.
Articles focused in on such subjects as the poker craze, area casinos, treatment for gambling addiction, bingo, and the role gambling money pays in funding education.
Though college students interviewed do not seem to view the recent increase in gambling activity with any alarm, that may change in the next couple of years. With more casinos and more advertising, it is not hard to imagine problems surfacing with gambling addiction and crime.
With the amount of casino money that is being put into Missouri legislators' pockets, it is unlikely that we will be seeing any laws to take care of gambling problems any time soon.
A special issue focusing on gambling was an excellent choice.