Fears of proposed C.R. casino encouraging addiction are overblown

My wife and I are empty nesters after our three children have finished college and married. They all live out of town, so we don’t see them very often. We do not smoke, drink, go to movies, or play pickleball. For our entertainment, we like to play the slots at the local casinos. We gamble responsibly, always pay our bills on time, and have never declared bankruptcy. Based on all the wheelchairs and walkers we see + comments in the daily obits, I know that a lot of seniors enjoy a trip to the casino. A new casino in Cedar Rapids would be perfect for all, especially as an activity for the elderly, who would not have to travel so far.

A recent guest column in The Gazette claimed that a casino in Cedar Rapids could cause addiction problems. I don’t believe that it would cause any more problems than a new bar would cause alcoholism.

Dan Sullivan

Cedar Rapids