As the crisis forces local governments to seek new sources of revenue, due to a deteriorating financial situation for many of them, facing bankruptcy or worse; local governments are getting creative. Some have imposed strange new taxes, but many have fallen back on the age old industry; gambling. Gambling has had an interesting history in the United States, being a divided issue since the creation of the US. In Utah, all forms of gambling are illegal, likely due to their largely Mormon majority. In Louisiana though, all forms of gambling are legal.
Both Federal and State laws are changing, and so are attitudes about gambling and its legality. The Guardian says it’s the ‘new black’:
Gambling is the new black in America. There was a time when a person would have to fly to Las Vegas or take a bus to Atlantic City to indulge any desire they may have to throw their money down the proverbial toilet. These days, with all but two states having some form of legalized gambling and new casinos popping up everywhere, there’s no shortage of opportunities for gambling enthusiasts to enrich the casino magnates who are only too happy to facilitate them. As laws and attitudes around gambling get even more relaxed, pretty soon anyone who feels the need to burn a hole in their pocket won’t even have to make the trek to the nearest casino or slot machine, they will be able to do so from the comfort of their own home.
Internet gambling (or “gaming” as its’ profiteers prefer to call it) is the latest way to help gamblers part with their money, and its’ rise is being promoted by cash-strapped stateswho are growing increasingly addicted to gambling revenue. Nevada and Delaware have already legalized online gambling, New Jersey is poised to go live with its’ casino-affiliated system this week and at least twelve other states are expected to follow suit next year. The burning question, however, is whether any state can really afford to rely on a morally bankrupt revenue stream, especially when they will also be required to pick up the tab for the social ills that generate it?
