This is Bob Doughty with the VOA Special English EconomicsReport.

Some form of gambling is legal inall fifty American states except two, Hawaii and Utah. Some statesincreasingly see games of chance as a good chance to help pay forservices.

A new law in Pennsylvania will permit as many as sixty-onethousand slot machines in that state. Players put in money and hopeto win more money.

Pennsylvania expects to earn as much as one thousand milliondollars a year. Governor Ed Rendell says some money will go toreduce property taxes.

In Maryland, some lawmakers and Governor Robert Ehrlich want tomake slot machines legal in their state as well. Maryland is next toPennsylvania. Gambling on horse races is already legal in Maryland.Now, officials worry that Maryland will lose gambling money toPennsylvania.

Some people in Washington, D.C., want slot machines in thenation's capital.

States with big budget deficits, like New York and California,also want to increase their gambling money. New York Governor GeorgePataki wants to put machines called "video lottery terminals" athorse races throughout the state. He says his plan would raise lotsof money for education.

In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signeddeals with five Native American tribes. The tribes can now operateas many slot machines as they want. Gambling has become a majorindustry on tribal lands in the United States. Tribal governments donot pay taxes. But many states have agreements with tribes overgambling rights.

Governor Schwarzenegger hopes California will receive onethousand million dollars for its current budget.

But some people say public officials are taking too much of achance on gambling. Religious leaders call it a social evil thatruins lives. Opponents say it brings crime and other problems. Theyargue that it does not create new wealth, but serves as a tax on thepoor, who are more likely to gamble.

In two-thousand, the General Accounting Office of Congressreleased a report on the economic and social effects of gambling.The writers noted a finding that eighty-six percent of Americansreported having gambled at least once in their lives.

But the report said that while it is easy to know how much moneygambling raises, it is difficult to know how gambling affectssociety.

This VOA Special English Economics Report was written by MarioRitter. This is Bob Doughty.