As a professor of marketing, I have studied gambling in many forms over the last 15 years — in casinos, online, and in mom-and-pop shops throughout the country.

I’ve also observed the introduction of video slot machines in many communities and studied the research on their effects.

And as a resident of Evanston for over 20 years, I can tell you one thing: Gambling may be right for Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but it’s not right for Evanston.

The research on gambling bears this out. The electronic gambling machines that are being proposed in our community are more strongly associated with problem gambling than other types of gambling.

Many studies show that when gambling is introduced in a community, it disproportionately affects low-income residents and leads to higher rates of depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance abuse.

I recognize that gambling is freely available on our phones. March Madness is here, and some of us will download an app, fund the account and place a bet.

Indeed, it’s become steadily easier to wager money in the U.S. since 1988, not to mention the explosion of sports betting in recent years.

But the multistep process of wagering on complex sporting events is different from video gambling, which involves the mere touch of a button at an easily accessible bar or restaurant.

Electronic gambling machines are 1.6 times more addictive than online gambling. Studies show that they also lead to more losses more quickly, as problem gamblers throw good money after bad.

There’s big money in the gambling business. Large companies often approach communities with an appealing bargain: Relax gambling laws and watch tax revenues roll in.

Some weak city governments have fallen for this deal and chosen to sell out their own residents for tax revenues.

But the cost of social problems caused by gambling often outweighs revenues, and they definitely lead to a lot of misery in the process.

Remember, gaming companies are for-profit enterprises and their profits come right out of people’s pockets. When gambling enters a community, the house always wins.