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Where starch protestant values prevail there is always money to be made.
Restrictions in law that come out of religious practice have
consistently yielded profitable results for individuals and
groups who did
not share the same beliefs. History has shown that the greatest
amount of money could be made doing what another won't. So it
would seem with the gambling industry. The majority of States
in the U.S. have strict laws which prohibit gambling on land.
Rather than dying, the gambling business has thrived in other
venues and governmental loopholes. Nevada, a state which
permits the existence of land based casinos monitored under
legal regulation, has profited a great deal in being the only
state to provide such a service on a large scale. Nevada is
not alone however in their capitalization of a restricted
market. Indian reservations often allow gambling facilities to
be built and thereby create thriving business. There are even ships,
such as the Princess cruise lines out of Palm Beach, which
travel into international waters to provide a viable source of
entertainment for the consummate gambler. This is not a new trend
in consumer behavior. Capital often goes where it is welcome
and when it only has a few places to go, it brings lots of
company.
Today in the electronic age, it is no wonder that the internet
has created a virtual space for the gambling industry to
congregate. The electronic real-estate provided by the web presents
a sticky situation for congressional law makers. The question
is; should it be prohibited? Any good economist would say, no.
This is the perfect opportunity for capital to find new areas
in which to live. The question would appear to be less about
the financial gain and more about the morality of the consumer
and the company providing the service. Where business is
concerned morality is often an oppositional force that must be
adhered to.
A moral
business will provide their costumer with exceptional
service and a quality product. Unfortunately there are some
online businesses who do not cow tow to the golden rule of
good business. However, does this mean that all online
gambling sites be given the boot because of the sins of poorer
quality gambling hubs online? Supporters of the measure
intended to prohibit online gambling would say; yes! The
argument is that gambling
addiction should be curbed and to allow an easily accessible
means to gamble is wrong. After all, there is the possibility
that many people would squander their saving loosing their
families and homes. This of course would be horrendous for the
economy. The argument, although a strong negotiation for an increase of
gamblers anonymous groups, is hardly cause for the
prohibitive methods proposed by the HR4411 bill which will hit
the senate floor some time in September.
Gambling addiction is a psychological fixation with gambling,
that does not effect the majority of individuals who gamble.
According to the Minnesota Department of Human resources,
over 80% of Americans have gambled at least once this past
year however, only a whopping 1% meet the criteria to be
considered a pathological gambler. I'd bet you, at the risk f
being labeled an addict, there are more compulsive
eaters in the U.S. than compulsive gamblers. I don't think
McDonalds will be shut down any time soon. The tobacco
industry ups the ante by providing consumers with an actual
physically addictive substance. Yet the sale of tobacco has merely
been regulated, not restricted.
While the legal matters in the senate are being decided I'm
placing my bet on black. The distribution and revenue offered by
the online gambling phenomenon can only lead to gain. Both for
the player and the webmasters who create the sites that
provide the online casino games.
August News Archive
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