The South Dakota Catholic Conference opposes passage of SB 117, a bill that would double the amount of money that can be spent on a video lottery machine game, from two dollars to four dollars, and increase the award amount per bet from $1,000 to $2,500.
While games of chance are not intrinsically evil or unjust, gambling becomes morally unacceptable when it goes beyond recreation and deprives people of what is necessary to provide for their needs and those under their care, or effectively enslaves them to addictive impulses. By design, video lottery is psychologically addictive, and the harm it does to individuals, families, and communities is well-documented. SB 117, by doubling the amount of money that can be spent on a per-game basis, increases the potential for harm to those who are problem gamblers and their family members.