Views on Gambling

[Cassiopia]

What are your views on gambling?
Some conservative politicians here in the UK are discussing the possibility of further relaxing the gambling laws so that casinos and gambling machines are more easily available in ordinary towns.
While I fully admit it goes against what I normally believe about individual freedom of choice, I find gambling disturbing and would prefer to see it much more heavily restricted. I can't see any positives in gambling (except perhaps for the casino owners) and I see lots of negatives. And in a time when the whole global economy is on the verge of collapse largely because of gambling within the financial world it seem insane to me that we should be encouraging people to gamble more!
What do you think?

 

[Wirey]

Your inability to see positives in it doesn't mean there are none. It's entertainment. I don't see the positives in marijuana use, but I favour decriminalizing it because I don't think I know everything (yet) and my right to be prudish ends at your existence. In fact, I'll bet you $10 I can get you gambling by the end of the day. Wanna bet?

 

[Father Heathen]

There is nothing at all wrong with gambling, provided one does so responsibly. It is, after all, their own money. What is the "positive" of any form of entertainment, if not the enjoyment of it? Also freedom = good.

Also, isn't a bit uncharacteristic for a satanist to be a worry nanny for what people might do to themselves due to their own stupidity?

 

[4consideration]

What are your views on gambling?
Some conservative politicians here in the UK are discussing the possibility of further relaxing the gambling laws so that casinos and gambling machines are more easily available in ordinary towns.
While I fully admit it goes against what I normally believe about individual freedom of choice, I find gambling disturbing and would prefer to see it much more heavily restricted. I can't see any positives in gambling (except perhaps for the casino owners) and I see lots of negatives. And in a time when the whole global economy is on the verge of collapse largely because of gambling within the financial world it seem insane to me that we should be encouraging people to gamble more!
What do you think?

I am betting that they are not thinking of just removing laws against gambling as a recognition of personal freedom to decide. I am guessing that are thinking of it in terms of revenue generation for the government -- like a monopoly of government owed machines/locations, or licensing/taxing revenue. Is that correct?

I think that gambling can easily turn into a problem for people. I find it ironic that the pattern in (just about any) government seems to be -- "you can't do this because it is bad" -- then, "well, OK, it's still bad, but you can do this as long as we make money out of it." I don't think that government should encourage people to gamble, I think they should stay out of the business of it.

 

[Cassiopia]

There is nothing at all wrong with gambling, provided one does so responsibly. It is, after all, their own money.

But very often it is not their own money. Addicted gamblers will often steal from anywhere (including their own families) to bet more money.
(And banking institutions will use OUR money).

 

[BBTimeless]

What are your views on gambling?
Some conservative politicians here in the UK are discussing the possibility of further relaxing the gambling laws so that casinos and gambling machines are more easily available in ordinary towns.
While I fully admit it goes against what I normally believe about individual freedom of choice, I find gambling disturbing and would prefer to see it much more heavily restricted. I can't see any positives in gambling (except perhaps for the casino owners) and I see lots of negatives. And in a time when the whole global economy is on the verge of collapse largely because of gambling within the financial world it seem insane to me that we should be encouraging people to gamble more!
What do you think?

Personally, I do not like to gamble. But if someone wants to throw money at horse races I do not see a problem with it.

 

[Father Heathen]

But very often it is not their own money. Addicted gamblers will often steal from anywhere (including their own families) to bet more money.
(And banking institutions will use OUR money).

The problem isn't gambling, it's irresponsibility. Homeless drunks steal money to buy booze, but does that mean the rest of us should be denied the right to buy alcohol? What about fast food? Should I be denied the right to have a bacon cheeseburger just because someone else practiced poor dietary habits and become obese and had heart disease?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I have no problem with gambling.

 

[Cassiopia]

The problem isn't gambling, it's irresponsibility. Homeless drunks steal money to buy booze, but does that mean the rest of us should be denied the right to buy alcohol? What about fast food? Should I be denied the right to have a bacon cheeseburger just because someone else practiced poor dietary habits and become obese and had heart disease?

I can't fault your argument, I use the same one myself quite often on matters of personal choice.
However, in this case the government is considering making it easier to gamble. (Thus easier for addicts to bring themselves and their families to ruin).

Would it be right for the government to make cigarettes or alcohol more easily available? Would it be right for the government to encourage the development of legal heroine and cocaine shops in the town center? I am not sure that I think such things would be wrong, but I do feel there seems to be a different set of priorities when it comes to gambling;- an activity which arguably does as much if not more harm than the other things I have mentioned.

 

[Wirey]

What harm does legalized gambling do? If someone wants to gamble, they have this thing called the internet, and you can gamble there. If they do it locally, it creates a few jobs and some stimulation for the local economy (what's a night of roulette without dinner and a show?).

For a satanist, you sure are a stick-in-the-mud. I'm old, white, and Canadian, and I think drugs should be legalized with some restrictions (like beer), and casinos should be opened. Let gays marry, but force them to be miserable like the rest of us.

 

[Father Heathen]

I can't fault your argument, I use the same one myself quite often on matters of personal choice.
However, in this case the government is considering making it easier to gamble. (Thus easier for addicts to bring themselves and their families to ruin).

Again, the issue is with the irresponsibility of the individual. The family needs to step in and put a stop to it if they're being impacted.

Would it be right for the government to make cigarettes or alcohol more easily available?

They're already readily available to adults.

Would it be right for the government to encourage the development of legal heroine and cocaine shops in the town center?

There is a difference between "allow" and "encourage", and I don't think hard substances are remotely comparable to, say, scratch off tickets.

I am not sure that I think such things would be wrong, but I do feel there seems to be a different set of priorities when it comes to gambling;- an activity which arguably does as much if not more harm than the other things I have mentioned.

That's a decision that one makes for oneself rather than for others. You can't be everybody's mom.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Life is gambling.

 

[Wirey]

Luck be a lady tonight! I'm heading to the casino right now! I can't lose!

 

[4consideration]

When you think of me, put a nickel on 4. (No. I will not pay you back.)

 

[Wirey]

The way I drink beer, it's all going on number 1.

 

[4consideration]

I guess you're not very good at gambling if it's all going down the drain.

 

[Wirey]

One time, for real, over a six month period I won $10,000, $6,000, $4,000, and $15,000 in four different casinos. The three biggest ones I got because I sat down to wait for someone to bring back my drink. The $10,000 happened while I was out boozing with a co-worker. When we went into the casino (his idea) I said "If one of us wins a jackpot, you wanna split?" He mentioned that I could take a flying fornication at a mobile pastry, and that I should win my own jackpot. When he showed up with my beer I said "Look what you just lost!" He was pretty upset, so I got him drunk on my dime. He didn't come to work the next day because he was hungover, so he lost about $1,000 in wages to boot.

 

[Revoltingest]

I hate gambling....unless it's rigged so I'm guaranteed to win.

If I die & go to Hell, the lake of fire will be in a casino.
Entertainment will be Chinese opera.
Snacks will be Lays spearmint foreskin chips.

 

[Wirey]

I only eat the barbeque ones.

 

[Revoltingest]

I only eat the barbeque ones.

Doesn't everyone?
That's why the call it "Hell"....cuz the food is so nasty.
Although.....time for a rerun.
[youtube]X3ZcZ2h4Ths[/youtube]
The Simpsons - Donut Hell - YouTube