WASHINGTON — Bill Bennett, author of the “Book of Virtues” and cofounder of the family advocacy group Empower America, announced May 5 that he plans to stop gambling.
The former education secretary and “drug czar” said, “A number of stories in the media have reported that I have engaged in high stakes gambling over the past decade. It is true that I have gambled large sums of money. I have also complied with laws on reporting wins and losses.”
Newsweek recently reported that Bennett had lost a total of $8 million in the last 10 years. Reportedly, internal casino documents show Bennett to be a “preferred customer” in at least four casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., and Las Vegas. Bennett disputed the numbers of the reports, saying casino officials did not accurately reflect his winnings. He did not argue claims that he was a VIP at several casinos.
Empower America frowns on the expansion of the gambling industry, and the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, which Bennett created, includes gambling as a negative indicator.
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