Why Gambling Should Not Be Legalized

The case of Christie versus NCAA came before the United States Supreme Court last year. The core issue involved was whether or not sports betting should be legalized in the country. Gambling reform is uniformly in the direction of legalization. It is extremely rare to find a state rescinding its decision to decriminalize gambling games.' In this context the support for legalizing casino gambling is not surprising.' The temptation to legalize casino gambling is great.

• Why Is Gambling Legal
• Why Gambling Should Not Be Legalized Today
• Benefits Of Legalized Gambling
• Why Sports Gambling Should Not Be Legalized

Gambling attracts polar opposite reactions. While some people like the idea of gambling, others might be dead set against it. Some rather extremists believe gambling should be outright banned, while gamblers even look for good crypto online casino options. In fact, MPs in the UK had called for a vote earlier this year, demanding a complete ban within the nation.

But no matter which side of the fence you’re on, there’s no denying the popularity of the sport. Punters will find a way to practice their hobby and the government might as well regulate the industry and boost local economies rather than fight a dying cause.

Regulations Help Protect the Gamblers’ Rights

Regulating the industry is of paramount importance as it not just keeps track of the players involved, but helps secure the basic rights of all parties involved.

• There are several key reasons why internet gambling should be completely legalized. The first is that, contrary to online gaming opponents, legal and regulated online gambling can better catch.
• In order to successfully legalize gambling, officials should consider an increased law enforcement presence. Small Businesses Suffer: There is some indication that those communities with legal gambling see a loss in the amount of revenue garnered by small businesses.
• In fact, many states conduct their own gambling through lotteries, so why shouldn't gambling be legal. In addition, if it is legal, why not tax it. So yes the economic does benefits the out weight in the social costs. “Legal or not, gambling is taking place, so we might as well have it legal”. Robert Torres Drug Counselor 2013.

By regulating the industry players remain protected and thus boost the economy, attracting more players. The revenue generated from taxes is huge, hence, gambling is a cash cow for any government.

Since casinos are a business, the house always wins, and when you consider the mega-casinos most economies experience a major boost thanks to the Gross Gaming Revenue generated from taxes. Although the GGR varies between states, it constitutes a significant portion of the net profit.

Casinos Promote Tourism

Atlantic City and the Las Vegas Strip are perhaps the best examples of gambling tourism. The larger establishments often lure the high rollers, which attracts more attention from the general population. Outside the US, Macau, Singapore, Cambodia, and the Philippines have a significantly robust industry. Not to mention some of the larger cruise ships, which are renowned for their quality casinos.

Like every other industry, there are two sides to the story and gambling addiction is a reality. Sadly, this affects a significant portion of amateur and veteran gamblers annually and needs to be addressed.

How to Fight the Side Effects of Gambling?

Legalizing the industry could prohibit gambling addiction to a certain degree since the modern industry allocates funds for people that need help. Since gambling is looked down upon in most parts of the world, addicts are often outcast from society.

Take Delaware, for instance, where the government provides free counseling for recovering addicts. The service is viable thanks to the millions of dollars in taxes generated by the state’s legalized gambling industry.

Why Is Gambling Legal

It’s clear that gambling isn’t going anywhere. Therefore, it makes sense to embrace and regulate the market to make the best of the current situation. The authorities have proposed a few novel steps like limiting monthly losses to $100 and curbing welcome bonuses after one hour of playtime.

While regulations are important, the authorities must ensure never to overstress and risk a backlash. There is a very thin line that mustn’t be crossed since it’s dangerous territory. And like it or not, gambling will continue to thrive irrespective of the government’s interference. So, it’s better to keep things under control.

Why Gambling Should Not Be Legalized Today

This is the second in an occasional college debate series hosted by Today’s Question where we invite debate clubs to frame and guide the day’s discussion. Positions taken by the debaters don’t necessarily reflect their views. As always, personal attacks aren’t allowed in this space. The comment thread continues to be open to all. Join in!

For this series, we welcome members of the University of Minnesota debate team to defend or challenge the argument for the nationwide legalization of online gambling.

Defending online gambling is Luke Plutowski, a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota and a second year Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He can be followed on Twitter @LukePlutowski.

Legalizing and regulating online gambling would bolster economic activity, provide billions in tax revenue, and give consumers an added degree of freedom over their pocketbooks.

Those opposed to legalization of internet gaming often overlook the fact that millions of Americans regularly engage in gambling, despite its legal status. The federal and state governments allow betting at casinos, poker rooms, racetracks, sportsbooks, and online fantasy sports websites, and actively encourage citizens to play lotteries, scratch offs, and pull tabs. The arbitrary restrictions on certain forms of online gambling do little to prevent people from placing their bets. Moreover, by prohibiting U.S. companies from providing a service that many currently receive from offshore websites, the U.S. government is not only losing out on taxing an industry worth an estimated $30 billion, but it is also forcing people to put their money into insecure, exploitable, and untaxed foreign accounts.

It is not the government’s duty to regulate the moral behavior of American citizens, especially for a victimless activity like gambling. While compulsive gambling is a very serious issue that affects about 0.6% of the U.S. population, the solution to the problem should not be banning gaming for everyone, but rather strict regulation of the industry and more robust state-sponsored addiction services.

Challenging the argument is Cody Crunkilton, a 2015 graduate of the University of Minnesota majoring in Political Science and Spanish.

Legalizing Internet gambling would expand problem gambling and put individual’s livelihoods as well as the economy at risk. The ease of playing from home combined with the high-speed, anonymity, and instant gratification provided by online gambling make the dangers of addiction far greater online than at brick-and-mortar casinos.

The social costs of problem gambling are devastating–divorce, bankruptcy, crime, job loss, embezzlement, and suicide are just a few of the consequences which can result from a gambling addiction. These implications ripple outwards to the broader economy. One study by John Kindt, professor of Business at the University of Illinois and noted gambling expert, found that the costs associated with problem gambling outweigh the revenues by as much as six to one – more than erasing any transient increase in revenue from legalization. Moreover, legal gambling is a form of regressive taxation, with the greatest cost falling upon those who earn less than $10,000 a year.

Benefits Of Legalized Gambling

Banning online gambling hardly impinges upon anyone’s freedom, as conventional gambling remains readily available both in personal settings among friends and at state-sponsored brick-and-mortar casinos. There is no defense of legal online gambling which justifies giving predatory websites free reign to exploit the most vulnerable segments of our population.

Why Sports Gambling Should Not Be Legalized

Today’s Question: Should online gambling be legalized nationwide?