Is/was making/keeping Gambling illegal a Liberal or Conservative goal

[Toots]

Is Gambling a moral issue or health issue and for what reason did it become illegal? Who was behind the crusade to make Gambling illegal? I know it is on the rise throughout America and bills are on the dockets of many legislatures to introduce for tax purposes some form of gaming...I perceived it as being a Church Driven cause to "Save" us from ourselves. Is "The Church" changing it's position on this issue, especially since many of their heroes are confirmed gamblers, or is this just not an issue at all anymore? If this was a "Liberal Cause" when first introduced we should get out from under it ASAP. If it is a Conservative/Fundie Cause maybe it could become "our" wedge issue....

[dmkinsey]

1. Gambling is a regressive tax

not good for low income citizens

[Toots]

2. So you are suggesting it is a Liberal goal to keep it illegal???

I don't believe what you say is true but many may. Yes poor people lose more of their disposable income to gambling than most wealthy (if you don't count the stock market) but a "tax" I don't understand.

[Zynx]

3. All legal gambling goes to line state budgets

Lotterys, Indian casinos, Nevada and Atlantic City, all of these are revenue for the state.

The vast majority of these gambling proceeds, especially outside Nevada, are from people who cannot afford to lose them.

So yes, it can be considered a regressive tax - particularly state lotto operations like Powerball and The Big Game. These are pretty much nothing but sucker bets, plain and simple and are played almost exclusively by the poor.

[wuushew]

8. There is a difference between gambling and investment

Gambling involves taking bets with fair or worse odds. Legalized gambling has a negative return, mathematically you will never make money on it. Therefore you are paying for the privilege of losing money. Also depending whether you believe in gambling addiction the "voluntary aspect" could be considered a tax.

While not a "tax" per say, it shares the onerous regressive label with other state sponsored activities such as fee's and tuitions. Voluntary activities that raise money in a non-progressive way are not cool with me.

Investments in the stock market on the other hand pay a return greater than the risk of individual investments warrant. This behavior is believed to arise from most investors level of risk aversion and utility for existing and future wealth. When someone pays more than what an investment it is worth it can be combined with dis-similar assets so that returns average and risks cancel.

[Ron Green]

4. The State knows what is good for people and urges them toward that.

The Market knows what is bad for people (what their hungry id wants) and urges them toward that. Gambling, especially in excess, is a market-driven activity, and therefore only government can put the brakes on it. To the extent that private money is controlling government at the gambling decision-making level, it's a liberal goal to limit gambling, albeit complicated by the religiously insane.

[NAO]

5. Gambling issue has many angles- social, moral, private/public

There are some conservatives and religious types that are opposed to gambling on 'moral grounds'.

There are some liberals who are opposed to gambling on social harm angles.

Then there are some who are in favor of gambling because it allows private companies to make enormous profits. Further, it allows the government to discontinue social programs to Indian Tribes because they get more money from the gambling operations than they were getting from the government.

Finally, there are some who are (covertly) opposed to Indian Gaming because it provides a model of nationalization of resources and use of the money for public good. By this I mean the tribes take the proceeds of gambling and use it to build roads, schools, provide health insurance and other social services. This is a horrific nightmare scenario because it contradicts the the sacred model of Global Capitalism in which profits must go to private companies, not to public good.

[etherealtruth]

6. Great points, concisely and coherently outlined ...

Why then does my head feel like it's going to explode?

[Guaranteed]

7. Neither. The gambling sector is what corrupt politicians

turn to when they need to shake someone down for cash quick.

No politicians are really "for" gambling, publicly. They just protect it behind the scenes when the people they're protecting give them millions of dollars.

[wuushew]

9. kick

:kick:

[BigMcLargehuge]

10. it should be illegal

because in most (and I mean almost all) cases it is a tax on poor people. In the case of state lotteries and scratch tickets, it is ALWAYS a tax on poor people.