Gambling with Welfare Cash
Via the LAT: California welfare cards can be used in many casino ATMs
The cards, provided by the Department of Social Services to help recipients feed and clothe their families, work in automated teller machines at 32 of 58 tribal casinos and 47 of 90 state-licensed poker rooms, the review found.
The state is moving to halt this ability. The fact that the cards are designed to be used in ATMs is part of the issue, however, and the ATMs just happen to be in casinos.
Of course, the bottom line is that if citizens are receiving direct cash payments through programs like Temporary Aid for Needy Family (TANF) also known simply as “welfare” then there is always the possibility that the money is being spent improperly regardless of the delivery system. Still it is problematic, if not galling, for said delivery system to be right next to a blackjack table.
