Casinos increase crime significantly, study says

WASHINGTON — The Washington Post took note May 11 of a study by Earl L. Grinols of Baylor University and David B. Mustard of the University of Georgia that said casinos lead to significant increases in crime in communities where gambling is legalized.

The researchers analyzed crime data collected from all 3,165 counties in the United States from 1977 to 1996 and examined local crime rates before and after casinos opened. “Crime began to rise after the first year, slowly at first and then more quickly, until it had far surpassed what it would have been if the casino had never opened,” The Post explained. “By the fifth year of operation, robberies were up 136 percent; aggravated assaults, 91 percent; auto theft, 78 percent; burglary, 50 percent; larceny, 38 percent; and rape, 21 percent. Controlling for other factors, 8.6 percent of property crimes and 12.6 percent of violent crimes were attributed to casinos.”