Two men in the Portland area, Bruce A. Studer, an investment adviser, and Matthew K. Rossman, a lawyer, have filed a couple of initiative proposals that would allow a private casino to be set up in the Portland area, at the former Multnomah Kennel Club. The idea is not as outlandish as at first it may appear. But it's still a poor idea.

Tribal casinos already operate legally in the state. So the constitutional ban on casinos has no practical effect, except that it enriches only the tribes and their casino contractors. (OK, some of the tribes make contributions to social services. Nobody knows whether that makes up for the problems Oregon families face if and when some of their members lose money at the tables.)

For another, a tribal casino is being planned near the Portland area on the Washington side. When that happens, Oregon will have whatever problems more casino gambling causes - such as more Oregonians losing their grocery money - without any of the benefits.

So, since we already have plenty of casinos, and since another one is about to go after the Portland metro area's business, how about letting Oregon entrepreneurs get in on the action?

One of the initiatives would amend the constitution to allow the state to license one - just one - private casino. That creates an obvious problem of favoritism. If Portland can have one, why shouldn't Bend or Medford be allowed to get one too?

The other initiative would create the law governing the casino. Among other things, the casino would pay 25 percent of "adjusted gross revenues" to the state lottery fund. Is that enough to make up for the lottery earnings lost by the presence of an actual casino in the metro area? Nobody knows for sure.

It is certain that Oregon would be better off without all the state-promoted gambling that's already going on. It is morally weak to rely on gambling losses to support state programs instead of collecting taxes in a systematic way in which everybody pays his fair share. We can thank our system of initiatives for this decline in state policy 20 years ago, when voters were bamboozled by out-of-state gambling interests.

Those mistakes, alas, are in the past and can't be undone. We have nine tribal casinos, and we have thousands of little state-authorized slot machines around the state, at least few in every town and hamlet.

So, one might ask, what's the harm in going whole hog, all the way, and doing an imitation of Nevada? Why not a casino at every gas station and store, as long as the state gets a cut?

Well, if that's what you want, sign the petition and hope it will eventually lead to such a state. Or, if you think we already have too much gambling, these are two petitions you don't want to sign. (hh)