As someone who lives in Massachusetts, near Boston, i had mixed feelings today about the House approval for casino gambling. On the one hand, i am certainly hopeful about the introduction of a new industry into the area. The expected boom in new jobs and economic benefits that are expected from the construction of the new “resort style casinos” are exciting in did. I have no doubt that the amount of business opportunities that will follow this move would be dramatic, and will help the region financially. However, i am also leery and concerned by some of the social possibilities that might accompany these resorts. Will we also see a dramatic increase in crime and prostitution, “Las Vegas style”? No one really knows if we will see the expected benefits or downfalls of this move, and all i can do is hope for the best. For now, all i can do is express the uncertainty with the visualization below that uses randomized series to chart the financial benefits and social drawbacks of opening casinos in Mass. I hope your charts come up favorable.. (oh, and of course you can download the xlf here)