Gambling Should Not Be Legalised
- Should gambling be legal? We don’t think so and here we bring you an article that discusses the reasons why gambling should be illegal. Gambling refers to the process of staking money in view of gaining more. When it comes to making money, one has to draw a line between need and greed. Gambling is something that blurs this line.
- Here’s the thing: It should have been legal a long time ago. With all forms of online gambling continuing to explode in popularity, it makes no sense that sports betting in particular is singled out as if it is an especially immoral activity. Here are 7 reasons why it’s silly that sports betting isn’t legal. Everybody Does it Already.
No, gambling should not be legalized. Gambling is already legal in many places, such as Las Vegas and on certain regional reservations/casinos, in some form or another in a total of 48 states. But gambling can destroy lives and marriages, and can be a source of addiction. Online gambling sites are rapidly increasing. To win bet, some gamblers go for match fixing. All these money becomes black money because gambling is not legalized. Most of this money will be used to fund drugs and terrorism. Against:-More people starts gambling, more gambling outlets will be opened. Gambling de-addiction centers will follow. Gambling addiction is real, but the subject of this debate is not whether addiction is good or bad — it’s whether online gambling should be legalized. People that have the itch will scratch it.
Did you know that 40% of all problem gamblers started gambling before they were seventeen? Or that problem gambling causes the most suicides out of all the recognized addictions? Even with these facts, the most startling truth is that not one federal dollar, out of the billions collected in gambling taxes, has been spent to treat or help problem gamblers. Gambling is the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes. Activities that are considered gambling are sports and race bets, lotteries, games like blackjack and poker, and casino games like slots and roulette. Bingo and raffles are technically gambling, but there are no major concerns about them, so they are not included here. Gambling has been legalized by many states, but just because it is does not make it right. Even though gambling is legal, it should not be because of its harmful economic, governmental, and social effects.
There are many detrimental economic effects of gambling, but there are two major ones: it siphons money from other industries, and states attempt to use lotteries to boost income. Gambling takes money from consumers that would otherwise be spent in an important industry or charity. Instead, it is essentially thrown away in hopes of getting rich quick. The removal of money from other industries often causes businesses to go bankrupt, therefore creating more unemployed people. You could argue that casinos create jobs, but those jobs do not make enough money to really support a family. The other economic problem that gambling creates is the use of lotteries. States typically use lotteries to make more money, but it is nowhere near as effective as other methods that are in use. The state makes 40% of the money that is put into lotteries, while they make 99% of the money that goes into taxes. Also, sources say that since the poor buy so many more lottery tickets than everyone else, the lotteries have become a tax on the poor and economically disadvantaged. The economic effects may be bad, but the governmental and social effects are far more hurtful.
There are a few different damaging effects that gambling has on the government, but they fall into two categories: the government’s role and illegal activity. The government’s role in gambling is not what it should be. Drugs and gambling are both known to be self-destructive, yet drugs are banned and gambling is legalized? To the people that are compulsive gamblers, gambling is a drug to them, so it should be illegal like all other drugs. The other poor role the government has in gambling is that the government gets a cut of the profits from it in the form of taxes. As it was mentioned earlier, the poor and lower-middle class gamble more, so it is essentially a tax on the poor. Illegal activity is another damaging governmental effect of gambling. Since betting on sports and races are legal, it has become far easier for organized crime to make money off of fixed sporting events and racing. From a sports standpoint, it makes “point-shaving” scandals a potentially larger issue, and can take away from the integrity of the game. Additionally, in areas where gambling is legalized, illegal gambling increases. Since people think it is okay to gamble, they now go to an illegal gambling location so that their winnings, if any, are not taxed by the government. The destructive governmental and economical effects of gambling are horrible, but the social effects are the worst of all.
The harmful social effects of gambling are it forces the poor to stay poor, compulsive gamblers bring massive problems, and gambling can ruin lives and families. Gambling at casinos and in lotteries have terrible odds of winning, but the poor, who desperately need the money, try time and time again in hopes of getting lucky to pull out of their economic problems. However, they rarely win, and the amount of money that they pour in forces them stay poor. Even if you are not poor and you start to gamble constantly, you will become poor very quickly. Another harmful social effect of gambling is the presence of compulsive gamblers. Compulsive, or problem, gamblers are people who are addicted to gambling. Gambling is a drug to them, and they cannot stop gambling, no matter the consequences. A study showed that most compulsive gamblers started during their teen years, and that they are in close to $80,000 in debt. Because of the staggering amount of debt they are in, they are a huge burden to their families. The last harmful social effect of gambling is it destroys families. The amount of debt that a compulsive gambler gets into puts way too much strain on the rest of the family to help him or her out of debt. If you are married to a compulsive gambler, it is like being married to a hard-core drug addict, they are forced to throw away money to satisfy their addiction. Unfortunately, sometimes the debt is too much, and the spouse will divorce, shattering the family. The social effects of gambling are the worst, but all the effects of gambling are awful.
Unfortunately for us, gambling is legal in almost every state, allowing these hurtful effects to exist. Even though gambling is legal, it should not be because of its harmful economic, governmental, and social effects. If you are considering gambling sometime, think about what you are supporting, and how it could ruin your life.
The State of Georgia is facing a budget shortfall for fiscal 2009 of over $2 Billion. And states do not have the luxury of running deficit spending, and printing up paper money to cover the shortfall. State budgets must be balanced each year. So, Georgia needs to give serious consideration to a new revenue stream.
Michigan Legalized Gambling
State Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta) has announced his intention to introduce a bill in the 2009 legislative session to allow voters to decide if they want gaming in Georgia. His bill would allow voters of each Georgia county to decide whether or not they wanted gaming in their county. The Georgia Assembly and recent governors have been cool to the idea of casinos in Georgia. But the legislature has never allowed any gaming proposal to be voted on in a general referendum or any other popular vote สล็อต.
The big question is: Should gambling be made legal in the state of Georgia?
Answer Number One: In a free society, individuals are free to use their income and assets whichever way they choose. There should be no moral, ethical, or even Biblical sanction against gambling. Some people believe that gambling is a sin, but a sin should not be made illegal when it does not initiate force or fraud against another individual. Said another way, if I use my money to gamble with, it’s my business.
Answer Number Two: The State legislators have already settled any moral trepidations they may have ever had over gambling. It is already legal here in Georgia in one form. Fifteen years ago, lottery gambling became legal in Georgia, and to date, has generated over $15 Billion in tax revenue. Sales for fiscal year 2008 climbed to a record-breaking $3.5 billion, exceeding the revenue generated during fiscal year 2007. So, the State of Georgia has already been in the gaming business for over 15 years. Casino gambling is simply another form of gambling. However, with casino gambling, the state will not have the monopoly, but private enterprise will own and operate the casinos.
With a 15-year history of successful gaming under its belt, it is going to be pretty hard for the Georgia General Assembly to refuse casino gambling without exhibiting massive hypocrisy. But massive hypocrisy has not stopped them in the past.
But, what about other states where gaming is legal? What has their experience been?
To find out, I went to the website of the American Gaming Association in Washington, DC.
In Nevada, the granddaddy of them all, where gaming began in 1931, tax revenues from gaming have been a large part of the state budget. In 2006, Nevada gaming had 201,000 employees and tax revenues were $1.034 Billion. Nevada’s budget for 2009 is set at $6 Billion, so gaming revenue comprises about 17% of that state’s total income each year.
Mississippi legalized gaming in 1990, passed by legislation and local option vote. There are 30,500 gaming employees, and tax revenue for 2006 was $350.44 Million.
Louisiana legalized gambling in 1993, passed by legislation and local option vote. Tax revenue last year was $559 million, another $68 million from racetrack casinos, with 20,300 gaming employees.
Michigan legalized gambling in 1996 by statewide referendum, local option vote and legislation. Michigan has 3 casinos that generated 2006 tax revenue of $365 million.
Sports Gambling Legalized
So we see here that other states have long histories of success with casino gambling.
Casino gambling would be a welcome addition to the convention business in Atlanta and other Georgia cities. Las Vegas has been stealing away convention business for years now with their gaming and entertainment attractions. The Georgia hospitality and restaurant industries would also get an infusion of business as they support gaming tourism.
Atlanta has another competitive advantage as a gaming destination…Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest airport in the world. It’s been said that you can’t even get to heaven without connecting through Atlanta. Our presence as a Southern regional transportation hub makes Atlanta an easy gaming destination for the two thirds of the population of the US that lives east of the Mississippi River.
Casino gambling can be a valuable addition to the economy of Georgia. I hope that the Georgia General Assembly can find its courage and conscience and votes in favor of casino gambling in the 2009 Legislative Session.
Benefits Of Legalized Gambling
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