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when lawmakers discuss about anything with regards to gambling or casinos, they usually focus on its effects on gamblers so they always reason that it is always valid to ban gambling or discourage it because it will make gambling less prevalent in their countries but what the lawmakers do not take into consideration is that behind these casinos are also normal citizens who are trying to make money by building businesses or working

this is what can happen in the UK: The chancellor is considering increasing duties on sports betting from 15 to 30%, and on machine and online slots from 20 to 50%.

But Betfred chief executive Joanne Whittaker told The Sunday Times it would “lose the whole retail business” as a result.

The UK has roughly 5,900 licensed betting shops, employing 46,000 people. (https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/money/15468588/bookmaker-warns-close-uk-shops-rachel-reeves-gambling-taxes/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

why is it that the authorities often do not consider or acknowledge gambling as a real or legitimate profitable industry that drives the economy and helps thousands of people in their livelihood?

I’m not from UK so I can’t answer it in more precise way there’s a similar case in my country that lawmaker ban POGO which is an offshore gambling that has lots of regular employees and provides huge taxes in my country.

The problem is lawmaker consider what’s the opinion of the citizen towards the issue due to some negative effects but those opinion is clearly from citizen standpoint without considering financial implications.

Since law makers wanted to gain public trust, they passed the law that will ban this type of gambling that resulted to many unemployed casino employees. The law was passed last year while election for the new set of law maker is last June 2025.  :)

Allow me to redirect this question to you; let's assume you were appointed a chancellor in position to decide on this, what would be your most suitable suggestions on how to curb gambling addiction, but in a way that the major benefactors don't suffer too much impact?

We could discuss all day if we really want to seek true knowledge on the whys and the hows, but the government will always stand for what profits them the most.. get that straight into your head before anything else.
Secondly, disrupting these casinos is like leaving 46,000 people homeless and hopeless, minus over 6000 extra casino owners, but that doesn't even ring a bell to them.

Double standards as always. They hate it due to the healthy of society, but they welcome the tax from gambling. I know gambling is bad, but killing thousands of people by increasing the tax a lot is also bad too.

Exactly, there is a whole market surrounding casinos, gambling, etc. that must be considered.
My opinion is quite simple in these cases, and I think it is valid to have awareness campaigns about gambling, addiction, etc., but individual freedom must be preserved, and banning casinos or imposing exorbitant taxes is a mistake

On top of that, several places still benefit from casinos, such as hotels, restaurants, transportation workers, stores, etc

46k people get affect over a decision by just few person is incredibly stupid and yes, they will still go ahead and get feel no remorse for their actions.
The government are so greedy and always want to gain from every area of the economy that offers an opportunity and ad a result they can take some drastically decisions without even considering how the next  person might feel.

The government should always try to atleast seek and hear from the youths and the rest citizens before taking a punish decision as this but that can’t be because we already have representatives but these people are busy enriching themselves while serious decisions are taken against their constituents

Gambling shouldn't be seen as a means of livelihood or a source of income as this will definitely lead many gamblers into being addicted to gambling. Therefore to reduce the rate or to curb out gambling addiction and it's negative effects that's the reason why government always place ban on gambling. However, this will not curb gambling addiction since gamblers can have access to illegitimate casino that are not licensed to operate in the country.

seriously banning or even over taxing gambling always looks like a solution from the outside but truth be told it has another side to it. gambling is not only about players losing money!! it is also a real industry that employs thousands of people and pays taxes that support the economy as well if governments keep raising taxes or pushing bans!!! many businesses may shut down and ordinary workers will lose their jobs so instead of treating gambling only as a social problem i feel authorities should see both sides as well, like regulate it properly, protect people from addiction, but also support the industry as a source of income and employment.

Authorities who have a conscience evaluate the risk associated with addiction, whether treating people addicted to gambling has a higher cost than what casinos and betting agencies pay, well it is clear to everyone that they try to make decisions drastic.
However, they have the real numbers to evaluate the situation, I absolutely agree with those who invest in gambling as a commercial activity, in this specific case we are talking about many jobs, which with a similar choice would risk losing it.
As usual, they propose situations that damage a sector that they previously favored, but at the same time they do not propose a solution for families who will find themselves in real trouble.
I hope they don't make this serious mistake for them.

"For the good of the many." Yeah, they might use that slogan also to make it gambling more evil like.

I have been a person who had been against banning gambling or online gambling not because I am a gambler but because I can see a lot of opportunity for people here. There's always a way to prevent locals to gamble and many countries have done it. They can use regulations to prevent those who are poor to gamble and just use it for tourism and rich people.

This is a big industry now with lots of money and I believe they are being targetted more which is why in different countries, government officials seems to not stop eyeing for it. Will it make them look good for the people or will they try to milk it's tax? It seems they are confused on what must be done. :D

I am not from UK and I dont know the reason for this development.  The only reason why I think government should be ban gambling is if majority of the people are relying in gambling for money but in the case of UK I dont unemployment is the reason for this decision. Regulating gambling should be the best decision for this because i know the government is also benefiting from gambling companies through task. If gambling is banned it wont still stop people from gambling because they will definitely try to access the one they will be able to access.

Many persons not just the authorities will not consider the gambling business as a real and legitimate profitable industry because of the bias that they have towards it, maybe from the losses they have experienced on these platforms, or the losses they have seen others experience. Most persons see individuals who plan to open up a casino or a gambling platform as persons who have the motive to profit solely from the losses of others because we often have more persons who loose at gambling than who win.

Gambling is a business, it is just unfortunate that some gamblers are unable to control themselves on these platforms, and we cannot blame the business fully or even the business owners who have this as a source of their livelihood.

It's weird to see the steps that some government are taking on gambling. Why on earth will taxes be increased, wouldn't that affect the casino and gamblers. Even at this, I don't think that gambling addiction will be limited because people will still continue to gamble because they see it as a means of hope to overcome poverty.

I have seen that all the government cares about is getting their taxes, increase it unnecessarily and nothing more. Gambling is an activity for adults so we all have our freedom to use our money for whatever we want.

it is normal to have different sides when it comes to these kind of issues but the authorities should be able to weigh the pros and cons and make the best choices considering both sides this highlights the importance of having someone who is concerned with the business and economics of the country

Owning a gambling company is a business, whereas the disadvantages overrides gains then it actually is a problem. I don't mind government regulating gambling in a way it is going to be available, conducive and somehow it doesn't affect gambling entirely, both players and casino itself.

The first link deliberates on increasing taxes for gambling companies, this changes will affect the gambling industry in general. If the law is passed, winning the house becomes tougher which demand gamblers to raise their stakes, in the long run when it becomes obvious that winning the house is impossible, lots of gamblers may decide to quit as well leaving the companies with fewer customers and in any time the business might shut down.

That's some issues I have with government regulations as it concerns gambling activities.
Instead of the policies the government enact to enforce safe gambling habits by limiting plays or banning those who have a high statistics of play that it is obviously an addiction, they would prefer to tax huge winnings and let the smaller wins slide.

I wonder how they intend to curb gambling addiction problems by taxing it. Don't they know that at the addiction stage of gambling, a gambler doesn't care for the amount the fine costs, but the estimated winnings in total he stands to gain.

If those numbers of 46,000 people employed it means the Gambling industry is
a sizeable employer and any country with that much employed in a single category
would be mad to jeopardize that.

Also something to consider is the tax take from the gambling sector must be huge.
In my country the tax on winnings is 2%, the government are only delighted to collect
those taxes.

So yes there is benefit to the government from gambling, the other side is more
unemployment and less taxes.

Just like alcohol and weed that are banned in most places and countries but the government still drives revenue from their market and for that reason it look as if government is playing a double standard life with the entire situation as regards to regulations and ban of activities, their seems to be against whatever makes the people independent and free, so sure we shouldn't be surprised to see regulations and banned of some of this thing gambling despite it contribution to the economy and the gambling market growth it sound weird to hear it banned in some countries.

They analyze everything well unless they are extremely brainwashed low IQ stupid people. The reality is that they do whatever benefits them the most, not what benefits the society the most. If the majority of voters want harsh laws on gambling, then the government will fulfill that wish because it will bring them lots of votes of these voters.
The reality is that gambling shouldn't be banned because it generates a huge income and if someone wants to gamble, they'll find a way in 21st century. Lots of money leaves the country because of gambling bans and restrictions. If they are afraid of something, then they should push gambling companies to found or sponsor gambling addiction centers where addicted people will receive proper treatment and then they'll be restricted (not totally) from gambling.

One thing that is a burdensome consideration for rejecting the gambling industry is taxes, even though what they are thinking positively about is the negative impacts that might occur.
Another thing to consider is why they recognize the alcoholic beverage industry and not treat gambling like the alcoholic beverage industry. Taxes are paid, workers are accommodated in large numbers, then they do not act fairly. Have you ever thought that?

I don't really understand the case in England, but generally what I said generally applies to all countries that consider gambling as you mean.

The government isn't directly trying to shut down gambling operation, they are trying to raise revenue through increasing taxation in the gambling industry. According to them:
However, gambling operators are worried, such a jump in tax could eat up their revenue and profit and force them to shut down. So that is the thing here, government need to ensure that such hike in taxes would be sustainable for gambling operators, because if many of them are forced to shut down, that means job losses in thousands and it becomes counterproductive.

Because they know that it's a vice for most of their citizens. While they are aware that there's a real industry in gambling and that makes the government earn a lot from the taxation the get from there. Concerned governments are there to protect their people and not to push them into gambling. That's why some countries have strict rules about gambling and they're not allowing their citizens to be a part of it but only the tourists and visitors that come and go to their countries.

The answer to gambling money is that it puts gamblers in great danger because they lose the amount they can gain from gambling later by gambling again. The government will never take a share of the losses but will deduct taxes from the profits. In some countries, taxes are also demanded on wagering. Gambling is basically a place of entertainment, but many people now use it as a source of income and most gamblers think that they can get rich very quickly from here, due to which many sell their valuable assets and deposit them here, which eventually destroys them completely.

@OP didn't you read the article you posted?

The UK didn't ban gambling, they just increase the taxes, it doesn't make gambling become illegal. Even the owner choose to close their casinos due to high taxes, gambling is still legal too.

Anyway the high taxes should still able to make the casinos survive because people who have a lot money seek for entertainment. The number of betting shops might not as high as 1,300, but the big betting shops will survive.

Because this is an industry where there is a risk of addiction, and it's the government's job to protect its people, and they are torn between protecting their people and the industry that provides jobs and income for the government, and sometimes the will of the citizen prevails, resulting in the banning of casinos.

The authorities acknowledge their contribution to their coffer, but they have to apply a different perspective or adjust their guidelines because they protect their people more than their income.

Even though I'm not in favour of excessive or addictive gambling, I would say that it's not the fault of casinos or gambling houses if people lose money that they shouldn't be losing. If you have some money that you are not supposed to use for gambling, you shouldn't use it for gambling, you have a brain and the ability to think and understand, but if you fail in utilizing those abilities and do what's not right, you can't blame something else for your mistakes, and lawmakers need to understand this thing.

Banning gambling might reduce this, but it also reduces the taxes generated through gambling that goes to government treasury, it will, as you said, remove a lot of jobs from the market that could help the citizens make money and have job opportunities, and, it will force the gambling houses and their owners to move their businesses elsewhere, somewhere where they are welcomed, and aren't threatened for running a business only because the customers aren't able to hold their horses and spend recklessly. You can't blame a business for that.

They know the pros and cons, and after all the only thing they want is a big slice of the cake for themselves through taxation. If casinos are willing to pay heavy taxes to the government, the government is fine in allowing the industry to operate inside the country. Everything else you hear is bullshit and propaganda. Even countries which have been hostile towards gambling in the past are already changing their concept nowadays by allowing sports betting platforms to operate on their territories.

The fact the industry employees thousands of people is a secondary factor which governments aren't really concerned about. It's important to highlight the most important aspect for them is how much they are making by allowing gambling to exist legally.

Based on the article, that's what they see as the best solution to decrease the number of people who gamble.
Instead of banning casinos due to aftereffects, they decided to increase the tax instead because if they banned casinos, it would lead to more people using illegal betting websites.
That's why the government chooses profit over totally closing those betting shops.

I believe the aftereffect of increasing taxes is the expensive bets.
I don't know if the casino owner will suffer, but my guess is they are going to make bets more expensive.
I'm sure others won't agree with me, but for me, all these tax hikes do is make it more expensive for me to have a bit of fun.

Even this is the solution it could still lead other gamblers to switch to unlicensed casino where there’s no protection at all.

Of course they take that to account. If we start from a narrative that they want to protect people then it's the most vulnerable people that they are making laws for.
But it's not only because of pure thoughtfulness. Negative effects costs ton of money indirectly to governments.

Just like other rules. Seatbelt has to be on, because some people aren't responsible adults. And when they hurt themselves, it will hurt their families and will cost more to society to treat them. There are ton of consumer protection laws to protect most gullible people, and even if you aren't one of them, your grandmother might be a victim. Or anyone else who is gullible.

They are targeting how to raise funds through taxes without considering the negative impact it would have on the gambling industry. If these gambling firms end up shutting down many client might decide to seek alternative. Some of them might end up using unregistered casino which  would make the government to lose revenue.

https://talkimg.com/images/2025/10/20/UMOJD5.png
About 655,000 young people between the ages of 16 to 24 were unemployed in June to August 2025. The number is 61,000 more than in 2024. The government simply want to add to the number of jobless people in the UK if this tax laws is enforced.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02797/

And they're always targeting those who are rich that doesn't know what to do with their money and so, they find the entertainment that's expensive to them.

With the high taxation that the UK government did, it's possible for the other countries to happen as well.

If they're not going to ban gambling into their public places, then they'll have to increase the taxes too.

Increasing the tax is not making gambling become illegal, but it's killing gambling industry. So what's the difference here?
Don't you aware if they do it, it's the same like they try to make betting shop go away without forced them to go. It's a soft killing the gambling industry.

I know if they UK gov raise the tax like 50% or more, the gambling industry can still be in profit. However, they will hard to survive.
I'd rather nationalise the gambling instead of impose non sense tax that can kill them.

It is hard to find activities that are totally black or white and gambling is not an exception. Some people ruin their lives because of an addiction or risking too much, while others make a living and that of their families thanks to being employed in the industry.

About lawmakers banning it, I think it is more of a cultural issue, and I don't expect Europe or UK to do it anytime soon.

First and foremost, things that can harm their citizen are treated differently by the government, whether it's a profitable industry or provides jobs for its people.
Government guidelines can change at any time for any risky business, and regulations on gambling can change if the government sees that it harms its people. The authorities treat gambling as a legitimate industry until there is a call for stricter measures.

I think politicians mostly touch on this topic to then somehow increase taxes on casinos. People have the right to decide whether they want to gamble or not. Banning casinos completely disrupts a democratic system. So what's the next step? Are we going to close pharmacies because someone might become addicted to a medication? It seems like an exaggerated move to try to ban gambling since addicted gamblers are a minority.

Banning casinos, whether land-based or online, could put many people out of work. In my opinion, casinos are businesses like any other, with their own specificities, and require "special care" from regulators. Lawmakers need to assess all the risks, because if done correctly, these businesses can help boost the economy and increase revenue.

I would also like to ask the same question. Why does the government require tobacco companies to include strong warnings on their products, even though the tobacco industry clearly provides significant economic benefits—absorbing millions of workers and helping farmers make a living? They must be well conscious that the tobacco industry is indeed an enormous asset for millions of workers and farmers. It is the same case for the gambling industry because, by nature of the existence of casinos, sports betting, and online platforms, there are jobs that are created driving the local economy and contributing to the country’s tax revenue.

Nevertheless, despite the economic value attributed to the activity, one cannot deny the ugly side of gambling. It is one of the social evils comparable to the consumption of tobacco products, capable of ruining the life of one or many persons and their families. This is the reason authorities dither over it; they are more likely apprehensive, even stopping it. So it is not that they do not appreciate such economic aspects but know they have to try and realize the balancing act between industry benefits and possible social risks in society.

Casinos are regulated not just to keep records of players and taking taxes from casinos and players. in the norshell, they prioritize on gamblers wellbeing so as to control addictions. Maybe some countries actually don't care while focus on the making profits on taxes.

Moreover, the safety and responsibilities of the citizens are more of concerns than considering such employment with the potential of wrecking same citizens.
Whatever religion gambling has massively ravaged it citizens are more of banning land base casino or physical gambling shops to control the situations.

What I do not like about all these is that they want to ban it and at the same time get revenue from it in forms of taxes. Its a free world. People make their money however they see fit (legally, of course) and as long as they follow the laws and pay their taxes, they should be allowed to spend it how they see fit. All you can do is advice them on how to spend it, but you cannot force them to spend it in a particular way.

I don't like when people have a very unilateral view of life. People should be allowed to do what they want as long as its not illegal and its wrong. You cant give a people freedom and then turn around and say "no you cant do that" in a situation where they person should have a right to do it.
Like every other thing in the country, it should be regulated, but outright ban is against what "a free country" stands for.

It saddens me to see how gambling is being labeled as something very bad because some gamblers abuse it and get addicted, responsible gamblers who engage in it for fun are not considered. The gambling industry is very big and profitable and it is a sector that employs labor, people depend on gambling jobs to survive and take care of their families. If over regulations and restrictions are in the industry it will affect more than the casinos that are targeted. Government focus should be on sensitizing their citizens about the dangers of gambling addiction and let them decide what they want to do with their money.

In my estimation, they do bring these into consideration. What I can tell is that it is not exactly about banning gambling for most of these countries but regulating the casino industry and that means stricter measures to weed out the rouge casinos that are one of the reasons for triggering irresponsible gambling and by extension, gambling addiction. Those casinos that are legit have nothing to fear, they just adjust to the realities just as citizens adjusts to inflation, high interest rates and many others.

I am sure in one thing, ban a casino and nothing will change radically. Gamblers will still gamble somewhere, and possible in an unlicensed place. Addicted gamblers will find place to gamble anyway. Youth will find everything online as usually, and people will keep on taking silly decisions. Casino banners are fighting with problem from different direction. Banning something popular was never a good and working decision.

When governments start regulating gambling, they’ll realize there’s a great opportunity to collect more tax revenue. In other words, it’s only a matter of time before gambling becomes legal in most countries. After all, politicians aren’t really concerned about the population or gambling addicts, what they truly care about is staying in power and collecting more and more money from the working class.

Some countries have started accepting the fact that gambling has a lot of role which it plays in the revenue generation of the economy and some have only come up with better regulations regarding gambling in their country, some of the countries that seem to be still not realize are the once putting banning gambling heavy on its citizens probably the benefit it was giving earlier is not as much any more suffocating the people’s desired on gambling is all they can resort to, which in some sense might be right too because government are not always wrong in things they do.

The UK government doesn't seem to understand that. It's completely brainwashed. Have you seen the latest statistics where they have put more people in jail for their online comments than Russia and Belarus together?

They will ban everything and then wake up once their revenue from taxes drop, but by that time it will be too late. 
You can't stop people from doing something that they like and used to be legal by suddenly making it illegal. Prohibition in the US is a great example.

They are always presenting a one sided story of gambling and only care about the gamblers, but you are right, they didn't consider the ecosystem of jobs and revenue it provides to the country. This is a different debate, but they only care about the users because, in gambling, the users are the ones who suffer a lot. They can lose millions of dollars in seconds, which I think doesn't happen in other things. If the users are broke, then who will come to the casino to play, and how can they pay taxes and salaries to the employees? So that is why they always prioritize users first.

Of course if not for the sake of addicted gamblers I see no reason why the government will decide to ban gambling, this plan of banning gambling can be very effective especially to those that gamble offline while those that gamble online may not be affected. But the problems is those offline gamblers who are very much addicted to gamble can decide to look for a way to return back to gambling I have seen most people buying android phone just so that they can start online gambling I noticed that the more days are going that's the More gambling is upgrading nowadays gamblers prefer doing it online so that people won't find out what they're doing and that is the reason why the rate of addicted gamblers keep increasing.

Either they like it not, gambling also has it own way of boosting the economy, because the people are so much interested in doing something that can help them be less dependent of the fake promises of the government over the economic situations, because it's a source of revenue to some people, they gamble to make money, some employ people to work for them in the field of their specialization, how easy it is to depend on the government, we could have been more worst.

Banning gambling can definitely have a bad side for players and the governments that ban them. Gamblers will find ways to gamble, either exploring workarounds like VPNs or using casinos that may not have proper regulation. This can lead to an increase in scams and government dissent by its citizenry.

It's because only few country like Macau or even some states in the US has been successful when they introduce gambling. In other cities or nation, gambling became a problem as it is out of control by the government.

Same with Singapore too, they have casinos but the government has tougher restrictions that's why it didn't fall into chaos. But countries like the Philippines or Australia is now fighting it out the hard way by introducing laws even though it produces billions for them. It out weights the money that can drive their economy, only thousands can have jobs, but the addicts? It could be in milions.

I'll still stand on the ground that gambling is not the problem but the gamblers who refused to do the right thing which is gambling responsible, gambling can be fun, entertaining and so forth but when you abuse it then you'll definitely suffer the consequences and i don't think gambling should be blamed for that, but the gambler who abused it. The government sector, can't deny that gambling has been helpful in so many ways, in terms of employment,  I mean their staff, and also a form of entertainment for gamblers.

The article you shared OP doesn't mention a ban on gambling; gambling is still legal there. However, the bottom line is clear and simple: when the government takes action to raise taxes, they ultimately only want greater profits under the pretext of reducing the negative impact on their citizens. Yes, high taxes won't immediately kill brick-and-mortar casinos there, but it will slowly but surely happen, as some casinos will struggle to survive. I don't disagree with this decision, but I believe there's a better way.

Self-righteousness and misguided cultural upbringing. But really, they do not care about gambling in a term of good or bad, they only care what the people think. And then they just pretend to stand behind the same thing. It gets them the votes they so sorely want. Politics is a popularity contest for them.

If they had any intention of making life easier for people, they would recognize gambling as something humans have been doing since the stone age, and help them adapt safely to the modern version of it. But I guess it is easier to vilify.

I do not know where you got the idea of the government not acknowledging the gambling industry as real or legitmate profitable industry.  The moment the government put a tax on gambling industry, it already acknowledge that the industry is profitable.  Aside from that, in my country, there are even infrastructure that is dedicated for gambling establishment.  The government had allowed several gambling industry to setup in the country.  They even have a place where gambling infrastructre are near each other, something like a gambling city once the buildings were done.

Allow me to answer this from a reader/a contributor's point of view. If I'm a counselor, what I will put first before making any decision is the well-being of my people, which includes the lives of those who are affected by addiction and the lives of those who will lose their jobs if a harsh decision is taken,

So the best to do is provide a solution that will help reduce addiction, which is instructing the casinos to run some programs that will help warn gamblers and remind them of the danger of reckless gambling. It will be more reckless to take food from the mouth of 46,000 families. That's going to increase crime rate in the country 

Because it cause so much trouble for a lazy government to take the after the damage it may cause aside from revenue it can get for the government. Social risk (debt, addiction and crime), money laundering is also very possible in casinos especial through cash.

I think these are the main reasons why they do not consider it for their countrymen;

• Religion
• Former impact it's got that caused massive addiction

So, they are still allowing it but at a moderation and that's solely fine. Because they have to do it for the welfare of their people.

To keep the society good and free from gambling, the big leaders of the society hate gambling, but at the end of the day, some big leaders enter the game of gambling. Especially the lawmakers increase the tax on gambling and kill thousands of gamblers, but these lawmakers always hate gambling to save their country and keep it free, but the money they collect from gambling is used to fulfill their financial needs. Because every day thousands of people are involved in the country's gambling and are gambling.

It’s not surprising that government officials only care about their own interests. They want a situation where people remain dependent on them through various programs and policies. If legalizing gambling could benefit them, I think they would be the first to openly campaign for it. It’s quite easy to understand the true character of government officials.

It’s true that legalizing gambling would automatically create jobs and attract more tourists, which in turn would benefit both the people and the country. With a well thought out approach, I think any regulation they plan to implement could succeed, even if it initially sparks debate and controversy. Just like some countries that have legalized marijuana, the legalization of gambling can also be done.

There will absolutely be no room for that where the government will have to listen to the citizens about their casino and gambling imposed rules. I doubt if there would be such privilege where the regulator officials will seat to harmonize about this.
Infact, while governments might be considering to tighten regulations and you as a youthful citizen try to give expressions about how challenging or unfair the nature of their policies maybe, for instance reducing how accessible the casino's maybe, those officials will believe you are already an addict and you are concerned about how your can bet freely.

They will just tell you to go and have some other things meaningful to your life because if not for addiction you would not even come trying to convince the panel about why they need to consider the comfort of players. Or you will probably be told that the best they can do is to regulate you with those rules with limited access and also the max wagering in the casino. While they will always be at the top beneficials on tax collections.

Bans won't change anything; they'll only push casinos underground.

It's always funny when legislators push through any law under the pretext of protecting citizens. :)

Are tariff increases also being done under the pretext of caring for citizens? :)

The authorities consider gambling a profitable industry because they raise taxes. :)

Of course, this industry employs a lot of people, but if you look deeper, it produces nothing; it merely distributes financial flows from gamblers to casinos. Without the gambling industry, these thousands of employees could work in other industries. Casinos aren't the only jobs in the UK, right?

Governments often act like gambling is something shameful even though it clearly contributes to the economy through taxes tourism and job creation. the real reason isn’t morality but control. gambling gives people a form of financial independence and unpredictability that the state can’t fully regulate. and what governments fear most is losing grip on where money flows or how people earn it.

There’s also the issue of public image. politicians like to project themselves as protectors of society’s morals so they take the easy stance of labeling gambling as bad while quietly benefiting from it through taxes and partnerships with big casino corporations. they don’t reject gambling because it’s harmful they reject it publicly because it wins them approval from conservative groups while behind closed doors they negotiate licenses and collect revenue. If they were honest they’d admit that gambling has been part of human behavior for centuries and modern societies just gave it a digital or structured face. it generates billions globally creates employment and helps tourism thrive yet it’s still seen as morally questionable simply because leaders want to appear virtuous in front of voters.

1. Maybe most of them don't gamble or even have no time for it than politics always.

2. They might also want to see that everyone into gambling pays tax including the gambling operators, so they will age to use the threat of ban to make people pay.

3. They may just want to exercise that power vested on them and use it on us or the business we do in gambling.

When did the government ever care how people who ultimately lose their jobs will survive? They couldn't care less. They're in power, after all. So they do what benefits them most, and the people will somehow cope with the problems the bureaucrats created. That's how it has always been, is, and always will be. So we shouldn't be surprised by these insane decisions that lack any logic. In recent years, completely incompetent people who don't even know the most basic things have risen to the top of power.

Also what these official think they became a hero if they imposed banning of those casino.

While the fact is many people would lose their job especially if it happens the one they attack are those licensed or regulated casinos in their jurisdiction. Not only that they provably lose some revenue knowing that online casino could potentially generate lots of revenue which can help their economy.

Yeah we understand their point towards people protecting from addiction. But if they do good regulation on which only those rich people can able to gamble and make this industry unreachable to poor individual I think their citizens will be fine with this.

This is just like a case of person assumed to be mad and picked up by psychiatrists, it will only take the grace of God to prove you’re ok because every move and actions you take, might be regarded as signs and symptoms of madness.
I already know that, the government will never listen to the earnest desires of the people because they are already too focused on enriching themselves and see every other thing as distraction even the pains of the ones who voted them in and at some point, I think the office of leadership has some forces that controls the elected leaders that makes them change as soon as they resume their duties.

Back to the subject matter, yes I agree with op that, there are several other issues associated with banning a casino and I’m not against the government carrying out their duties but they should always put everyone in consideration and try to seek possible ways to balance the situation.

Governments often treat gambling like a moral problem rather than an economic one. they look at the social consequences first debt broken families addiction and crime and then decide it’s easier to restrict or ban it than to regulate it properly. this is partly because managing a gambling industry requires strict oversight strong anti money laundering systems and constant monitoring which many governments either don’t want to invest in or don’t have the skill to manage efficiently.

There’s also politics in it. many officials like to appear as heroes or moral saviors by claiming they are protecting citizens from gambling harm. it wins them public support especially from religious or conservative groups who view gambling as a vice. meanwhile the irony is that when they shut down legitimate licensed casinos they end up hurting workers and losing the massive revenue that could have gone into social programs and infrastructure. The truth is that gambling whether online or physical can generate huge income if regulated correctly. jobs are created taxes are paid and tourism grows. the real problem is not gambling itself but the lack of proper control and education. people get addicted because there’s no support system or awareness on responsible gambling. if these things existed the harm could be greatly reduced.

And that's why government really need to weigh everything, but the thing is, I do believed that this could be the (bad) effect of the pandemic. Some countries do prioritized gambling during the 2020 lockdown. And with that, they allow online gambling to thrive because of the huge tax that they will get. And it turn this is the money that they gave to the people in order to survived during that time. But it looks like it bites them back because now, it's totally out of control. Their population grew into addiction and the supposedly rehab was not build so now even with huge tax, they can't stop online/offline gambling.

The people who depend on gambling for their survival are far less like in few thousand compared to the welfare of a few millions, that is why they don't consider these small group. And you can't ask for anything from them, if they do then you got no other choice than accepting it, so if someone who depends on gambling need to have emergency funds and some kind of savings, if things go south and need to survive until they find other source of income.

I think this has something to do in balancing the interests of the state vs the welfare of the people.

We are all aware that gambling is considered one of the most profitable industries out there. Given that its regulation comes with taxes, most countries adapt gambling and use it as a form of revenue/profit on their end. To give you a concrete example, the gambling industry in the Philippines is responsible for garnering billions of dollars in revenue; additionally, it is the 2nd or 3rd most profitable source of revenue in the country.

With all the revenue that it garners, we must not forget the social aspect of gambling which is addiction. If we sacrifice the welfare of the people in combatting addiction in return for revenue, the balance and harmony will destroy resulting to a lose-lose situation to both parties.

The government knows the economic contribution of gambling, and they acknowledge it. But due to the rampant addiction that negatively gives a huge impact to the welfare of the people, it gives them a reason to ban gambling as well. I believe what they propose is the beginning of a new gambling setup and rules. Yes, the government should impose strict rules to keep gambling running without ruining the lives of innocent people, especially the poor. And to avoid scams.

It may not seem favorable to gamblers at first, but it is necessary. We need this break to promote responsible gambling and a safe environment for everyone.

Government ban gambling for a lot of reasons not only effects on gamblers they also consider reasons like reducing crimes, Today gambling centers or casinos have been like a spot where crime activities are carried out, numerous types of reports like theft, assault, money laundering and fraud has been occurring in casinos and that is what the government is trying to prevent, that makes them band gambling added with other factors as you said, but the the goal here is to reduce the attention of government by eliminating these crimes happening in casinos. security measures like enhancing security to protect customer related indecent and ensuring integrity of games, enhancing surveillance cameras, this is very important to increase the monitoring rate round about the casino, also eliminating any staff involved in any form of crime activity like drugs fraud etc. with these measures government will have less reasons to ban gambling.

Well my country so far is not in the situation of deciding to shut down casinos or gambling houses either they have not seen a reason for that. When a government try to do that, that could be if they observe that some social challenges bedevilling the country is from gambling which they can also consider as vices. So they want to restrict it or entirely stop it not minding the job creation or tax revenue generated from it. I believe the major reason for such decision is that objective of government that says they are to protect lives and properties . So if they get an intelligent report to say certain illicit behaviour is caused by gambling or that gambling houses are hide outs for criminals for instance, they might take such not too favourable decision. Another example is if for example there is a gang fight in such places, they may be encouraged to take such decision to protect lives and properties. Therefore, it is to there discretion and not just because of jobs that will be lost or taxes because live is paramount.

Before gambling is being banned in a country, I think law makers already considers both the advantages and disadvantages of allowing gambling, but if allowing gambling will cause more damages than the positive advantages, they will have to ban it, but in this case, they are not banning casinos but are increasing the tax percentage which has forced some casinos to close down because the tax is heavy on them.

As long as there is an advantage there is definitely going to be a disadvantage, sure banning gambling can be advantageous to a country at some level especially when the people are becoming uncontrollable for the government because of the benefits they get from gambling, and how fast people are rocketing from one social strata to another and maybe the rise of violence in the  country because of violence but then, the benefits are revenue generation which is very huge but very undermined yet it shouldn't cost the people's lives before government will benefit revenue.

It's the other side, I agree. But you have to remember that this industry may generate jobs, but it also destroys the economy, right? So it must be discouraged, otherwise many more people will become addicted and lose their jobs, families, etc., to the detriment of a group of companies that would in no way compensate for the emotional and financial loss it can cause.

Yes. That's real. They actually only come for business or to eat cake without considering the long-term risks of the platforms they create. Their job, once licensed, is to pay taxes and be done with the rest. If something goes beyond their control, it's the local government's responsibility to address addiction and the increasing crime rate caused by gambling, even though the primary motive is always economic.

The biggest fear is the increasing number of financial and social victims over time. At first glance, the government has made many efforts after granting them permission by providing regulations such as financial restrictions and age and identity controls, but they are only for the sake of reducing the number of cases and are not entirely effective, I think.

They do, were they not the ones issuing them the operational license and other regulatory guidelines, they just needed to keep appearing that same way just to make it a must for the operators to comply on their regulations, because deep downward, the government encouraged gambling with some kind of operational license issued to those that falls under their regulations and pay all dues deligently.

In my country, gambling is prohibited, and I don't know if there are any physical casinos operating there. Even if there were, I think your statement is correct. The government might have banned them and ordered them to stop operating. It's also possible they'd allow them with certain conditions, such as increasing the tax rate. In my country, the government is quite selfish, so they sometimes do whatever it takes to make money.
Furthermore, many online casinos are still operating, despite previous reports of access being blocked, but that hasn't completely helped. Currently, some are still operating, and many are. The case is that there are rumors that they (the government or authorities) are working with casino owners, so the casinos are protected by the government. If this is true, it must be because of the profits they make.

The lawmakers can increase as they want but they should check on certain businesses, they can pay or not. If the casino can't pay, they will be in trouble and they can not run the business and make their employee fail to accept the salary.

The authorities think about how they can get more income so they want to increase the tax on any business field. But they don't think about how the business will survive if the government imposes that on them.

The government needs to discuss this with all sides and hear their advice before deciding. It is not about the tax but rather about how the employees can still work and get salary.

But gaming operators already pay taxes on gambling, the problem is that governments have realized that the profits are really exaggerated, where there is profit the government of any world state tries to get its hands in the jam.
In short, the threat of a ban depends on what arose, reducing the number of players or an excuse to increase taxes?

Before gambling faces a ban in any country lawmakers usually weigh its effects carefully they consider how it impacts society economy and public behavior if the harm outweighs the benefits a ban becomes the chosen path but sometimes instead of banning they raise taxes on casinos to gain revenue and control the industry when taxes grow too heavy small casinos collapse while bigger ones survive and adapt that becomes a way for the government to profit while appearing strict.

In places where gambling is fully prohibited the logic is often tied to moral social or religious grounds the government may fear addiction crime or financial instability among citizens sometimes they act out of concern but other times power and money decide the outcome when control and profit are involved bans can turn into tools of negotiation not protection. Even when physical casinos vanish online platforms continue to thrive blocking access never truly works the internet creates openings and gamblers find ways to bypass restrictions in many countries reports show that some authorities secretly cooperate with casino owners letting them operate quietly in return for hidden profit that relationship keeps the flow of money alive even under a banner of prohibition.

Of course, governments have to be very careful about what they ask for.

I understand that the state always wants to earn more, but then the producers of a certain product could move their area and change country for the benefit of taxes, they have to be very careful.

Maybe the culture of the country won't allow such? Few countries are already lifting bans on gambling after they have got to know how much they can make from it, I still believe that countries who don't allow casinos to run are those who strongly believes in their culture or just care much for their citizens.

I don't believe that a day will come where South Korea will permit gambling again, if you are talking about the most gambling affected country I think Korea will be on the list, many people lost their lives due to gambling debts and many lost properties too, some children are cursed with debts of their parents via gambling, the government had to intervene and the law was passed.

This is a country that's so against gambling today and I don't blame them, most scams related and illegal laundering of money have every ties with gambling in South Korea, the damages was too much.

This is possible but most of the time this is not economical or efficient since other country with good gambling industry has much stricter law that means more expensive operations.

The danger is their citizens will resort to playing online casino that operates outside their country which the result is the same for not getting tax on their citizens gambling money.

If we look at this, we will see that gambling is banned in almost all countries of the world. Despite the ban, gambling has not stopped in any part. As time goes by, more and more young people are becoming addicted to gambling. If this continues, then the youth society cannot be kept in order in any way. Therefore, we must keep our children and family members away from gambling.

There must be someone to voice important points like that so they can be considered by the government when making regulations. After all, they will surely take into account the overall impact on their citizens. But if someone considers the positive impact for those who are indeed running a business, it should also be supported. It's just that when the negative impact seems too significant and already apparent, other interests might be considered minor factors.

The act of prohibition often serves only as a formal prerequisite for enforcing punishment rather than as an effective deterrent. In reality, no matter how many times gambling is banned, it continues to grow and gradually occupies a larger share of the economic market. It may seem paradoxical, yet in many countries where gambling is officially illegal, enforcement weak remains and inconsistent. People continue to gamble in secret, and only when underground networks become too large does the government step in to impose penalties. This cycle creates a subtle equilibrium in which the economy quietly benefits from what is, in essence, the circulation of dirty money.

From a place of concern, banning Gambling comes with two sides and that's both negative and positive.Banning Gambling usually focus on preventing addiction and protecting citizens.Sobwhen gambling is banned,it doesn’t always stop it just goes underground,becoming riskier and unregulated.Banning but keeping it regulated and responsible is more convenient.

I think that the reason is so frowned upon is that it is often associated with gambling addiction. And probably it is partly casinos fault because they don't promote responsible gambling more. If they would invest in clearing their image in public eye it would probably result in less taxation.

I am pretty sure they do, but they probably think that amount of people affected by gambling in negative way outweighs the positive of people getting livelihood in gambling industry.

Do we have any numbers that may give us an idea how many of them are addicted to gambling? This may give a fair comparison, which one is more important for them to addressed.

However, they decide what they want to do depends on what they think is best for the country and the economy but gambling itself a lucrative that generates a lot of tax revenue for their tax collection but religion and individual beliefs influence the decision to go against it.

Basically, the fact that they banned gambling doesn't mean it's a good one either nor does not banning gambling good either but he mere fact that it benefits them more but not said is what makes people whether why they even take the action of banning it in the first place, however in my knowledge gambling exist with ban so the government banning it is only a means of protecting themselves from  what may happen or may not happen, it's to the benefit of he people especially when the underground gambling is becoming a huge thread to lives and properties that's when the bans happens but regardless the revenue it generates is equally important to the government when makes gem sometimes reconsider the bans.

Well, you've raised a very important discussion and also have made a very valid point, running a casino is a supposed to be a legitimate business because it's some thing that several thousands of people in the country are earning a monthly salary from, but unfortunately, most government don't usually consider this aspect of the business, they are always majorly after their own selfish interests..

But on the other hand  though, there are countries where the government actually do not have issues with the casinos running their business and making their money, the government only becomes interested in banning gambling if and when too many people in the country start turning to gambling and as well getting addicted, putting their future and the future of the coming generation at risk..
In a country where gamblers control their self and gamble moderately, I dont the government will have issues with casinos running in such a country..

So to conclude, though some government ban gambling because they want to collect more taxes from the casinos, some genuinely ban it because they want to control addiction in the country.

Yeah, there are a few aspects to such things. There are providers and there are sufferers. Like tobacco, gambling is also something only the ones running the business benefit from, nobody else.

Next the government have to measure the impact it causes to the country versus the profits it generates. Another important aspect is that certain things govt. cannot control and people will find a way anyways, so they prefer taxing it heavily instead of banning. It's like you can ban watching porn but people will find a way somehow, so it's better to make it difficult and/or tax, etc that offers some resistance.

Yeah, that’s just the facts about gambling, but most of the people take gambling as the source of income, whereby gambling is not something that they can have hope for since it is not something that brings money all the time; rather, they lose money into gambling. And the moment they continue to lose to the gambling from there, they will definitely get addicted to the gambling. Instead of them stopping the gambling and never going near it anymore, but they will think that if they continue, they will recover back everything they’ve lost.

That's all there is to it , that's what happens, that's why corruption will always dominate, because it all starts with unnecessary prohibitions on the part of Governments and this goes to another level, all these games and clandestine sites occur ,  where the authorities allow themselves to be bribed and everyone is happy.

As I mentioned, there's a partnership between casino owners and the government, and as you said, they benefit from potentially higher taxes. It makes sense that both physical and online casinos are still operating. Besides the high taxes, I think they agree on other things, such as guaranteed casino security. It's unclear whether there are different payments outside of taxes.
I like the phrase "Prohibition can become a negotiating tool." It's true that money can change everything, even something that's prohibited can become no longer prohibited, haha ​​lol.

Gambling and casinos does helps thousands of people, but it also ruins thousands of people. We all know and realize that gambling brings in money from taxes. Taxes from the gambling that happens in the casino and taxes that the casino pays, but look at the number of addicted people that blow their check every week in the casino hoping to hit big. Look at the number of old ladies that lose their government check within 2 days playing slots. Look at the decline of the retail businesses around the casinos.

Joanne Whittaker is correct as the people(not all people) spend all their money gambling and do not have the money to purchase goods in the stores eventually leading to a bunch of rundown empty buildings. They have to find balance somehow IMO and only allow so many casinos within so many square miles or something.

Yes your point is very clear ,but to me as much as their is football to and countries to countries friendly match and premier League is this concern gambling can never be banned,but if they stop playing footballs that is when the spirit of gambling will die , because from the field of football ,golf, basketball ball and so fort that's where prediction comes in,but if this games has to stop entirely sure gambling has to stop automatically,no body has to enforce it , normally people will stop, because theirs nothing to predict because games has totally ended ,just take example of COVID 19 era what happened,when many countries stop playing footballs due to the deadly deasess every body was wick in gambling,this is exactly what will happened.

Gambler’s union should take this matter into its own hands and start protests all around the country, starting with London.

46000 people ain’t no joke. Most of them have families as well and that makes it 200k people. Add players which will also get affected by these changes and now we are looking at a million protesters at least.

Walk right to the Buckingham Palace and show that a million gambler souls ain’t no joke.

The King will get nervous about it without a doubt.

My opinion? They are bluffing. They can’t do jack shit. They can’t afford to have more unemployed people. If they do, you know what to do.

46,000 employees to lose jobs because of the increased duties which will affect more than one betting company, I think the government hasn't really done their research well because alot of people will be unemployed and am sure these 46 thousand people support other people which means the spiral effect will be big.

I know the government means well for its citizens but these number could affect not less than half a million people if you think about it..

The gambling industry drives the economy? Really? How exactly does the gambling industry drive the economy? Increasing productivity? Helping technological progress? Reducing poverty and helping the people earn a higher income(some people really believe the last part)?
Should we feel sorry about an industry, that makes money of addicted people(who ruin their lives and the lives of their families)?
I'm a moderate supporter of the gambling industry, but we shouldn't feel sorry about the casino owners paying higher taxes or land based casino/betting shops employees losing their jobs. Those people are going to find another job. It's not the end of the world for them.

As the Scottish Sun says, the UK betting industry alone employs over 46k people and has around 6k shops. Now if the tax on sports betting and online slots is increased from 30% to 50%, would you call that just a moral step? Not at all, I would say that this step could be a major cause of job losses.

I agree that gambling addiction is a serious problem. But will you destroy an entire sector because a small number of reckless people cannot control themselves? I don't know what else to call it other than lazy policy! !

The gambling industry has now become a big part of modern entertainment and commerce, it is not going anywhere. If the government puts pressure on it, people will be tied up and go to unregulated or offshore sites, and that will happen where the government will not get a single penny in taxes. Therefore, imposing additional bans or taxes will ultimately harm ordinary workers, and there will be no proper solution to the problem.

If you're the type that like taking decisions against what could benefit others, then know that this same thing you're doing too will come back to affect you, our government taking such decisions have forgotten that gambling has also been a source of income to them, they can earn and make more income generation through the regulations being made in the gambling platforms, the gamblers may feels hurt, but the governments are also losing in a big way concerning this, because gambling in the first place shouldn't be seen as an illegal thing to do, but what makes the people enjoy being entertained.

Exactly, after all Government just want a revenue that they can use to run the country. This is what the politicians planning to do in online gambling in my country but it’s not materialized probably due to the decrease on the revenue issue.

Our country instead planned to add more taxes after the issue on gambling becomes silent because our finance secretary think that our country needed more budget while we a lot of corruption cases on many government offices.

In conclusion, they are always for the money.

Don't blame them, they must have a valid reason why they chose to keep things this way with gambling, you said that people are been helped vai gambling? How so is this? How many people in your own country have a sudden better life because of gambling.

I refuse to believe that many lives are touched simply because they are into gambling, it is always an handful of people that get lucky through gambling, many people lost money more to gambling than others.

If not, gambling businesses won't be profitable to casinos, people have to lose more and small amount of people have to win, this small amount of people are more than enough to drive loads of people to come and try their luck, everybody will always want to try their luck.

This is why I consider gambling to be a bit unsafe for people, all it takes is one winner and loads of people will rush in to try their luck.

Naturally government is meant to be of the people, and the people the government, where the human feeling is at the heart of the government. I see that people who gamble as result of loosing complain much in the society, on how they encounter numerous losses in gambling which give edge to the government seeing the process not profitable before the people.

Gambler have not come up with strategic development where people area are sensitize on the benefits and it profitability with evidence of those who through it has changed some narrative where the situation has reduced some unemployment making the citizens happy but cried on their losses, only few can brag of the benefits where the benefits is only felt by few players it will be difficult for the government to see it as profitable.

The government may see gambling as a serious problem that could harm people, so they create rules to limit or ban it in order to protect their citizens. While gambling can bring in revenue for the government and money for those who play, there are concerns about its effects on family life, education, and mental health.

So do not forget that their are some countries that had banned gambling for many years ago and that still stand with that because they felt it's not good for their people. You should not expect everyone to have the same opinion with you about gambling because their are people that see gambling as a waste of time and not ethical.

We still have countries that like to gamble and if the government tries to stop it or ban gambling, this could lead to a more frequent human made disaster that could cause problem to the country's peace and economy. You should know what's good for you and what's not so everyone have their own do and don't.

It could be because those lawmakers and politicians have strong religious believes or because they do not view gambling and betting as a source of wealth, instead they view gambling and an industry which transfer wealth from many people to few people who are within the administration of casinos and betting houses.

Though, that many of them ignore is the fact gambling does not never go away, even if it is banned or deemed as a very taxed activity, people will always gamble and bet on anything they want and governments cannot enforce them to comply, there are enough enough agents or officials to prosecute all underground gamblers and bettors of a country.

This is natural, as everyone has different perspectives on various matters. In my country, gambling is prohibited because it conflicts with religion, yet many people still do it, including myself. My own principles regarding gambling do affirm its prohibition, but I continue to do it because I enjoy it. If someone says it's a sin, that's my business. The important thing is that my gambling doesn't harm others because it's my own money, and that there are limits and discipline.

Every decision like banning gambling has two sides governments often focus only on the moral or social part but forget that gambling also contributes to the economy through taxes licenses and tourism when they shut it down completely they cut off a source of revenue that could have been managed better with proper regulation instead of pushing it underground. You’re right that not every country sees gambling the same way some believe banning it protects their people from addiction or financial ruin while others see it as personal freedom and a form of entertainment the difference usually depends on culture religion and how much control the government wants over its citizens’ choices but at the end of the day people will always find ways to gamble whether it’s legal or not.

When gambling is banned completely it often creates bigger problems illegal betting grows corruption spreads and the government loses both money and control regulated systems with limits and safety checks tend to work better they allow entertainment while still keeping things under watch and generating income that can support public needs. Everyone has their own view on gambling some see it as fun some as danger and some as moral failure but the best approach isn’t total ban or total freedom it’s balance giving adults the right to choose while creating systems that reduce harm and still benefit the country that way both the government and the people get something good out of it instead of turning it into a fight between control and enjoyment.