On the negative side, concerns
have been voiced about regulating the
post-casino proliferation of pawn-
shops in Windsor, fearing a repeat of
what happened in Atlantic City.
Adding to concerns in Windsor was a
confidential report leaked by the
Criminal Intelligence Service of
Ontario last September. The quasi-
official document reported "organized
crime groups are interested in park-
ing lots, pawnshops and purchasing
property in proximity to" the site of
Windsor's permanent casino. The
75,000-square-foot casino and 389-
room hotel is scheduled to open in
June, but has been plagued with cost
overruns.
In Detroit, Diamond Collateral on
Washington Boulevard is one of the
few downtown businesses surviving on
that once-fashionable street. A retail
jeweler first and a pawnbroker second,
manager/owner Alan Klein believes
the coming of casino gaming to down-
town Detroit won't bring an increase
in pawnshop activity.
"We've already absorbed Windsor,"
said Klein. "When Windsor first
opened, was it good for business? No,
because the redemption rate dropped.
Why? People would be going over
there, they'd be gambling, they would-
n't have money to get their merchan-
dise out [of pawn]. And when a glut
of merchandise comes in, that's not
good because you want your money to
turn." Some 80 percent of Windsor's
casino patrons come from the Detroit
area.
"Gambling in downtown Detroit
may help my retail business," said
Klein, "but as far as the pawnshop
business, I doubt it."
David Littmann, chief economist
for Comerica Bank of Detroit, doesn't
forecast smooth sailing for Detroit's
casino investors. "As it stands," said
Littmann, "the Detroit metro area
loses over $400 million a year to the
Windsor casinos. With the coming of
the Detroit casinos, some of the
money will be repatriated.
"There is a net plus for revenues for
the city. But no way will all three casi-
nos succeed with Windsor already in
place."
Windsor's Mayor Hurst, however,
believes the Detroit and Winsdor casi-
nos together will form a tourist desti-
nation. If a gambler is unlucky in
Atlantic City or Las Vegas, Hurst said,
he can go to the casino next door and
try again. "But here, he will be able to
go to another country to try to change
his luck." El

2/27
1998

98

I

Ming in Pawtucket, R.I., concurred
ronically, it was a Windsor
with Anderson's observations.
Jewish psychologist, Dr. Mor-
Studies of "Jewish personality"
rie Kleinplatz, who conducted
have often stressed the existence of
the pioneering study on gam-
risk-taking in the business world as
bling addiction 20 years ago. But
part of the entrepreneurial spirit. But
that was long before Casino Wind-
to psychologist.s studying addictive
sor.
behavior, risk-taking spills
Another prominent
over
into gambling.
Windsor psychologist, Dr.
and
Historically,
Jews have
Ronald Frisch of the Un'
been
disproportionately
sity of Windsor, has seen
involved in gambling. Con-
anecdotal studies concluding no w be lo tate
in Rivertown,
that Jews have more chronic east of the Ren-- sider the Wall Street junk
bond scandals, or Arnold
gambling problems than
Cen.
Rothstein, who fixed the
other ethnic groups.
1919 World Series. And
Tracking those studies,
remember
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel;
Chris Anderson of the Illinois Coun-
Meyer
Lansky,
and Moe Dalitz of
cil on Problem Gambling in Chicago
Cleveland?
Without
them, and
said, "It is interesting to note there
other Jewish ga_mbling interests, Las
appears to be a higher percentage of
Vegas would still be a sleepy desert
Jews in Gamblers Anonymous than
are present in the general adult pop-
The one published study of
ulation." Anderson speculated the
chronic
gambling that contains sta-
reason may be cultural, and suggest-
tistical
findings
about Jews is titled
ed the term "gambling" also includes
"Gambling
and
Pathological Gam-
those who play the stock market.
bling Among University Students." It
Both Dr. Marvin Steinberg of the
was conducted by a team of psychol-
Connecticut Council on Problem
ogists and sociologists headed by 1)r.
Gambling and Dr. Henry R. Lasieur
Lesieur.
of the Institute for Problem Gam-

,

The results were presented at the
International Conference on Gam-
bling and Risk Taking in London in
August 1990,
Some 1,771 students from six col
leges and universities in New York,
New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas and
Nevada were surveyed during the
1987-88 academic year. Jews com-
prised 2 percent of rime surveyed, in
keeping with their total proportion
in the American population.
The study included playing the
stocks or commodities markets as a
form of gambling.
Its findings? "Rates for Jews '(11
percent), Catholics (7 percent) and
other religions (7 percent) were high-
er than for Protestants (4 percent)
and atheists or agnostics (3 per-
cent)."
For those who may need help, the
West Bloomfield chapter of Gam-
blers Anonymous meets every Tues-
day at 8 p.m. in room 321 at the
Kahn Jewish Community Center at
Maple/Drake. For other area meet-
ings, call the hotline, (313) 535-
3086.