Gambling is sort of like Marmite. Theres that love/hatequality to it that really divides people, not least governments.
For many who dont have any time for gambling they believe that it should be illegal and, earlier this year in the UK, MPs called for a review in how gambling is treated by the law.
But wheres the logic in that?
No matter where you fall in the debate theres no denyingthat legal or not, gambling would still find a way into peoples basements. Mayas well boost the economy with it and keep it within regulated and safe parameters,right?
It cannot be stressed enough, but peoples safety andsecurity should always be a priority. As weve discussed, gambling is adivisive topic, but its absolutely going to happen whether its legal or not.
When humans are forbidden from doing something, it onlymakes them want it more. And if the law wont allow that in a regulatedfashion, mobsters will be very happy to offer up their services.
By forcing people to go underground for these activities, you push them into the hands of criminals and thats where the real dangers arise. People could be scammed out of their life savings and thered be nothing in place to protect them from that.
With access to a regulated online gambling market and legitimate brick-and-mortar casinos, players are protected.
Its easy to find a licensed casino and play safe in theknowledge that your money isnt going to be hauled off by some gang.
When the market is regulated, it allows trusted casinos to emerge and attract more players.
Any competition is forced to follow suit, meaning the big players in the industry are law-abiding and dependable.
The revenue that can be earned from taxing casinos is HUGE!
This in itself makes legalizing gambling a no-brainer. Itsa pretty little cash cow for any government.
Its a well-known fact that the house always wins and when you look at those mega casinos, you know theyre generating a lot of money. Many economies experience a significant boost from casinos paying tax on their gross gaming revenue (GGR).
Each countrys gambling taxes and GGR system varies, but its always a percentage of the net profit.
In France GGR can be as high as 83.5 percent! In gamblingmecca Macau its much lower at 39 percent and the UK falls in the middle at 50percent.
Governments find it tricky to set these tax rates as theydont want to put off new business, but equally they want to get in on theprofit that can be made.
Russia, bizarrely, doesnt tax the casinos at all. So if youwant to open up a casino, that could be the place to go.
As well as the tax the economy benefits from, the jobsprovided can be colossal too. As an example, in 2018 in the state of Nevada,the gambling industry provided employment to 166,741 people.
People all over the world flock to gambling havens like Las Vegas and Macau every year in their millions.
Amazing casino comps attract high rollers from around the world, who end up pumping a lot of money into the economy. And its not just the whales who make a difference, either.
Gambling destinations attract all sorts of folk, from families on vacations to bachelor/bachelorette parties and wedding-goers.
The rise of casino tourism in places like Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines is really proving to be a big boost for industry too, not to mention cruise ship gambling too.
Where the casinos dont have restaurants on site they drawmasses of tourists to local eateries and shops giving the surrounding businessesa big boom.
Furthermore, it could be argued that casino tourism boosts diversity. A report by ftn News explains how in Australia, for example, many high rollers from China come and play and in a bid to make them feel more at home, casinos are employing more mandarin-speakers, or people from Mandarin-speaking countries to work as dealers and hosts.
Like every coin, there are always two sides and gamblingis no exception.
The problem around addiction to the thrill is a very real issue, sadly affecting millions of people.
Would this addiction disappear if gambling were madeillegal? Its extremely unlikely.
With the on-going discussion about the decriminalisation ofdrugs, its clear that the law will never get in the way of the vice and itsuser.
At least with a regulated market there are funds availableto deal with people needing help. Where something is illegal, an addict often findsthemself marginalized from society, unable to seek out the support they need.
In Delaware, for example, the state provides free counsellingto anyone having difficulties, a service theyre able to provide from themillions of dollars generated by the gaming industry.
And in the state of New Jersey, problem gamblers and theirconcerned loved ones can use a free text service. Available 24/7, the serviceoffers support and advice and has been shown to have a positive impact oncurbing suicide rates associated with the addiction.
As well as various support systems outside of the casinos onhand to help, with a regulated industry there are systems in place for players tolimit play.
In the UK theres always the option to self-exclude whereby you essentially drop out of playing for six months.
Self-exclusion is ideal for players whore worried theyrespending too much time or money on gambling and need to take a break. Whilstthe onus is on the player to keep that promise and steer clear of gamblingsites and offline venues, casinos should make it hard for you to come backwithin the timeframe.
Once youve made the self-exclusion agreement, your account with a gambling establishment will be closed down and any outstanding money will be returned to you.
Its also possible for this to apply to all memberships of the area, saving you the effort of contacting each casino individually.
So whats to be done?
Its clear that gaming benefits the economy but gamblingaddiction isnt going anywhere.
Many people are calling on casinos to do more to protect players. Its estimated that in the UK alone as many as two million people have a gambling problem and 21 percent of players admit that they gamble more than they can afford.
The Gambling Commission is proposing a cap on monthly losses of 100. Another suggestion is to curb players bonuses after an hour of playtime.
Both these measures would severely reduce the risk offinancial ruin a lot of people end up facing.
If these measures, and more like it, should be implementedit could prove to be the safety net needed to keep this otherwise fruitfulbusiness as a positive addition to any countrys entertainment.
However, with the UK taking steps to limit how much players can wager on sports, Playtech sponsor Jason Ader reveals in an interview with Casino.org the threat of gamblers turning to offshore sites to make bigger bets.
Whilst there need to be measures in place, they cant be soextreme as to push people into unregulated and dangerous territory.
Without regulation, players are at risk of fraud, and theeconomy cant benefit from the enormous financial rewards.
As the old saying goes, if you cant beat em, join em.
And like it or not, casinos and gambling will go on with or without the laws green light. Best to find a way that makes it as safe as possible then.
Additional sources:https://www.statista.com/topics/1053/casinos/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/29/gambling-addiction-labour-tom-watson-2005-levyhttps://rehabreviews.com/gambling-worst-kind-addiction/https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/for-the-public/Safer-gambling/Self-exclusion.aspx
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