[Irviding]

Can we make gambling legal now??? Why is it even illegal anymore? It's just plain retarded. I mean honestly can anyone give a legitimate reason to keep it illegal?

[goin-god]

I'm not American but... what about Las Vegas?

[Rown]

It's largely a state/local issue. Except for the online poker stuff... not sure what happened there.

But ya. Yay gambling.

Rown

[K^2]

There has been a petition and later a referendum in Ohio, and now we're going to have casinos near Cleveland and Toledo. It's entirely a local issue. If you want casinos petition for it.

[*MURDOC*]

We got casinos recently as well.


Still waiting on that blue-eyed Joe Pesci though...

[Sanjeem]

You got Las vegas and Atlantic City. I'm sure there are legal casino's and places you can gamble at, at all over America. You just have to give a portion of winnings to the government which nobody likes to do. That's why most people gamble illegaly with Bookies which can result in harm and extortionate ways of the bookie getting his money. That's why it is Illegal, Even if they do Legalize gambling in America, this won't stop people betting with bookies because it's so much easier and there isn't a tax.

[GTAvanja]

I wonder why the government doesn't open state casinos around the country? That way they could legalize the gambling and earn a lot of money. If people want to lose their money, they could at least lose it to the government that will use for things that actually matter. I might be wrong though. I haven't thought about this for very long. Maybe it's not a good idea, who knows...

[K^2]

That's basically how casinos work already, in US at least. What government doesn't take in taxes from casino's income is almost the same as what it would cost for government to run the casino in the first place.

As it was pointed out, what's bad is unregulated gambling. When it's well regulated and taxed, it doesn't matter who actually runs it. Same fraction of money lost by patrons ends up belonging to the government either way.

[Sanjeem]

Here's a perfect Video that explains why Legalizing gambling in America, across all states and all kinds of games will not affect the way Illegal gambling operates. The government may get some money, but equally they have to maintain these Casino's so...

[NaidRaida]

In Germany gambling is also prohibited. Casinos and official Lotto is okay.

I think the government would loose "control" if it would be all open. Criminality would probably increase.

Anyway, I was never attracted by gambling.

[ilovebender.com]

I thought it was, the world confuses me.

QUOTE (goin-god @ Sunday, Oct 23 2011, 04:23)

I'm not American but... what about Las Vegas?

Nevada and New Jersey, I don't know where else though.

This post has been edited by ilovebender.com on Wednesday, Mar 28 2012, 20:49

[Melchior]

So.... there are no casinos in America?

[Rown]

Casinos In The States

But ya. Yay gambling. (part 2)

Rown

EDIT: tl;dr: In 37 States and 2 Territories like 885 Casinos, Racinos, Card Rooms, Riverboats, etc. etc.

This post has been edited by Rown on Thursday, Mar 29 2012, 03:27

[Leftcoast]

I know the State of Nevada has worked to keep gambling illegal to ensure tourism. They put up a huge fight when California allowed Indian casinos. That is part of the equation I'm sure.

[El_Diablo]

QUOTE (Irviding @ Saturday, Oct 22 2011, 21:11)

Can we make gambling legal now??? Why is it even illegal anymore? It's just plain retarded. I mean honestly can anyone give a legitimate reason to keep it illegal?

...

QUOTE (Irviding @ Saturday, Oct 22 2011, 21:11)

Can we make prostituion legal now??? Why is it even illegal anymore? It's just plain retarded. I mean honestly can anyone give a legitimate reason to keep it illegal?

...

QUOTE (Irviding @ Saturday, Oct 22 2011, 21:11)

Can we make marijuana legal now??? Why is it even illegal anymore? It's just plain retarded. I mean honestly can anyone give a legitimate reason to keep it illegal?

agreed.
I mean seriously; things that don't hurt anyone can't be illegal.

and really, what you choose to do with your own body (the only true, sovereign vessel) can't be regulated by any state.
so long as your actions do not bring harm to others.

where do these people get off?
nothing gives you the right to try and police how anyone enjoys living their life. the more things you try to outlaw, the more you feed the criminal underworld and empower two-bit thugs turning them into increasingly violent and wealthy crime syndicates. those bible-thumpers who go around trying to tell everyone how to live, trying to outlaw and criminalize and ban their way to Utopia - they don't even realize what they're doing - they're creating Hell on Earth. the more you restrict and shackle and suppress the more tension and bigotry and fear you create. this is not the world their Jesus would have wanted. they are not followers of good but purveyors of veiled threats.

it's asinine. it's without logic or reason.
you cannot stop people from wanting to feel good and tell them what their only options are. short of killing and stealing and raping, there's not really any inherent morality within nature. "victimless crimes" cannot be criminalized. it doesn't make sense. it leads to exponentially more harm than good.

[Jeeebuuus]

Yeah, I never understood why a state would outlaw casinos and gambling yet run a state lottery. The we like our hypocrisy out front, obvious, and laughable. But I still maintain that the lottery is an optional tax for people of low income with the hopes to win big money but at astronomical odds. Thats not healthy.

I get the crime element but the crime still remains when you make something that has a high demand illegal. In fact it many cases like drugs it increases, but we can't be bothered by that. We have to maintain a high level of moral superiority even if it costs us our capacity for reason. "Independence limited, freedom of choice is made for you my friend."

Too much money and control is to be had by regulating and criminalizing certain activities and products. The way of the world.

[jackass2009]

QUOTE (Melchior @ Wednesday, Mar 28 2012, 13:04)

So.... there are no casinos in America?

There are a lot of them, it's just a state issue. More of a local thing than something to be enforced countrywide (even though it should be).

[Leftcoast]

QUOTE

There are a lot of them, it's just a state issue. More of a local thing than something to be enforced countrywide (even though it should be).

I disagree, I feel this and many other issues should be left to the local governments. What works for an orange farmer near LA may not work for an Idaho potato farmer. Local governments need to make laws that work for their community.

[El_Diablo]

QUOTE (jackass2009 @ Thursday, Mar 29 2012, 20:56)

More of a local thing than something to be enforced countrywide (even though it should be).

you're dead wrong.

as Leftcoast pointed out, the country is too different from end to the other.
the people are different, the communities are different, the economies are different, the values are different, so on and so forth.

what works for certain places doesn't work for others.
and this is technically how our country is supposed to be run. the Constitution was adapted from Federalism (State's rights). the framers of the Constitution intended for the Federal government to be more decentralized than it has become. not necessarily "smaller" (the "small" government argument from Republicans is a farce) but decentralized; meaning Federal power is divided, equally checked, and leaves most social issues up to the states.

unfortunately it doesn't always work this way and those men who are a part of the Federal government usually do everything they can to consolidate power at the top and take decision-making away from the states (especially when it comes to social issues). this creates a lot of the problems we see today with Congress' inability to pass nationwide reforms that are desperately needed in certain sectors of the country.

[SIKKS66]

Having grown up a country where bookies are legal businesses, it seems strange to me how the states can be a place of such capitalist excess yet gambling is illegal. It's like everything else in life that is bad for you- junk food, smoking etc- you do it at your own risk, it only becomes an issue when it becomes addictive and consumes you. You hear too often of people getting themselves is stupid debt or bankruptcy because of gambling.

In moderation, gambling can make things more fun, such as the odd horse race or football match. Literally increases your stake in the event.

So yeah, weird one that...