[Discussion] Should Gambling be Banned?

[coupable]

Let us first agree that gambling is a personal freedom that should not be prohibited for any reason within a legal framework, even if it is harmful in one way or another. Just like smoking and drinking alcohol, both are harmful, but the legislator has no right to pass laws prohibiting these practices because they simply fall under the issue of personal status. But there are two important points if the ban takes place, and they are firstly about preventing children from entering this field, which is an early age to enter into such a situation, and secondly, it is to reduce cases of addiction that lead to the death of individuals, just as it happens with legislation that prevents drug consumption and their trafficking.

[Fortify]

I read an interesting debate about this topic during the time when I experienced heavy loss in online gambling. I’m trying to seek some reason online to justify my loss and give me acceptance for my loss that time. It didn’t help me but make me confused.    Anyway I will share the points of both side because it is the real life scenario.

It seems that the emotion of regret is the one that most people struggle to get over and it can lead them back into making further wrong decisions. Even the most financially sensible people can get sucked into the world of gambling if they allow themselves to participate too much. In some situations you can be playing for what basically amounts to a coin flip, like choosing a color on a roulette wheel, other times you might be sticking with something that looks like a low risk but low reward sports bet or maybe playing the lottery once a month where you're more likely to get struck by lightning that win a jackpot. You have to keep it all in perspective and be able to rein your emotions back in, while letting go of any losses instead of trying to chase them.

[darkangel11]

Religions across the world have been warning us of the dangers of gambling for centuries.

This is an invalid argument. Most religions also say that there's a creator watching us from the sky Some also say that there's heaven and hell and if you go against the rules of god you will end up suffering for eternity. When something is built on lies it shouldn't be taken seriously.

If you want to live by those rules you can be in favor of banning gambling but don't expect that other people will be like you. Don't try to enforce your opinions on others.

[wxa7115]

The simple answer is a big NO.

The reasons are simple,everyone in the Western world countries is free to choose to do what he wants as long as it is a legal thing.Everyone in such world has always free choices and that is what makes the Western countries as great as they are because of such freedom.Putting a restriction like the one you are asking is a big undermining of such freedoms.

Another reason is that why to ban them when no one forces you to play,it is a free choice you are making to go there and create an account to play.If the governments start restricting things including gambling we risk to turn into autocratic regimes like Russia which is delusional,or like Islamic countries where a lot of things are forbidden.

This, the pros of the gambling industry are way bigger than the cons, the gambling industry is responsible for a lot of jobs all around the world, if we were to forbid gambling not only all of those jobs will be lost, the taxes that the gambling industry generates will be lost as well and more importantly gambling will not disappear.

The desire people have for gambling is there and if it is not legal then they are going to find illegal means to satisfy their needs, this means that organized crime is going to be the biggest benefactor of such a measure, while gamblers themselves will also lose as now they will have to go to those illegal casinos, and if they happen to win and those criminals decide to not pay then there is nothing they can do about it.

[BitcoinPanther]

Again, as I have said in previous thread, it seems that gambling is in our DNA already. We've discussed when it started, whether in China or other old civilization. That alone proved that gambling is already on us since the beginning of our history.

Indeed, and I believe it is way older than any religion existing here on earth.

And it evolved so much that there are governments willing to accept gambling with regulations. But as far as online, it will be hard to stop it totally. Gamblers are so adaptive that they will always find loopholes and exploits and maybe circumvent the ban by their government.

It is a profitable business and a great source of funds.  Of course, the government will take advantage of it.  The government even build its own Casino infrastructure to get more percentage of the profit.  Banning gambling is just a waste of resources.

Religions across the world have been warning us of the dangers of gambling for centuries.

Religions are brainwashing us about everything for centuries.  They hate gambling because they can't control their followers from being a gambling problem and that blemishes their absolute authority and control over everything.

[Frankolala]

Gambling shouldn't be banned as it reliefs the body and soul after undergoing the day stress because its a game and its fun.we are adult and free to do whatever we want as long as its not against the law.Government knows that gambling can not be stopped so the legalised it to generate revenue for the government.

  If you have lost so much in it no matter the addiction you need to just let go of it and make a change of mind not to gamble because changes are constant and we need to know when to make that change.God gave us the grace of self control over whatever we are doing.

[chaser15]

but the legislator has no right to pass laws prohibiting these practices because they simply fall under the issue of personal status.

Legislators have the right to pass laws prohibiting gambling.

That's their role in the first place, to pass laws.

However, the final say will be on the President or the Head of the State.

Let us first agree that gambling is a personal freedom that should not be prohibited for any reason within a legal framework, even if it is harmful in one way or another.

We can't take that statement of yours in a country where gambling is totally banned.

But there are two important points if the ban takes place, and they are firstly about preventing children from entering this field, which is an early age to enter into such a situation, and secondly, it is to reduce cases of addiction that lead to the death of individuals, just as it happens with legislation that prevents drug consumption and their trafficking.

When gambling is totally banned in the country, I doubt more children will be open to doing it.

There will be worries and mostly will be afraid to do such activities as gambling is now the same with other illegal activities.

[ultrloa]

Depends on how it affects the life of the people in their country since if this cause huge harm to the families since addiction is rampant due to this activities maybe they could decide to ban gambling on their jurisdiction to ease the possible bad effect to the people.

But if they see moderate things happening and this could help their people because this give them another huge source of income then I think they are good the only thing they need to do is to regulate it properly and have education drive by using mainstream media or other outlets to help people determine what's good and bad for them upon gambling.

[BitcoinPanther]

but the legislator has no right to pass laws prohibiting these practices because they simply fall under the issue of personal status.

It wouldn't be an issue of personal status.  Legislators pass a bill then other legislators will review it.  It is more like a consensus then if approved will be brought to the President for implementation.  Often times president signing it is just for formalities when the bill passes legislators' consensus.  And indeed they have the right just like what the previous reply stated, it is their job and function in the government.

When gambling is totally banned in the country, I doubt more children will be open to doing it.

Anyone won't do illegal stuff openly.  They will do it secretly.  So whether more children or few will be involved in gambling in a country where gambling is illegal, we won't know because gambling activities is hidden in the eyes of the authority.

[Don Pedro Dinero]

In my opinion no, it should not be banned. It would be the biggest bullshit, because banning it does not put an end to gambling and what it does is that it becomes operated by the mafia instead of by legal companies, as happens with drugs.

Anyone won't do illegal stuff openly.  They will do it secretly.  So whether more children or few will be involved in gambling in a country where gambling is illegal, we won't know because gambling activities is hidden in the eyes of the authority.

This also depends on the implementation of the law. In theory, banning means that people do it less openly, but in some cases the ban is a window-dressing measure with little practical impact. For example, I recently learned that prostitution in Thailand is illegal, although it is openly practised everywhere.

[Wakate]

Religions across the world have been warning us of the dangers of gambling for centuries.

This is an invalid argument. Most religions also say that there's a creator watching us from the sky Some also say that there's heaven and hell and if you go against the rules of god you will end up suffering for eternity. When something is built on lies it shouldn't be taken seriously.

If you want to live by those rules you can be in favor of banning gambling but don't expect that other people will be like you. Don't try to enforce your opinions on others.

I think everyone has there opinion here and we shouldn't force people to think like the way we do to avoid unnecessary contentions. Gambling is a lifestyle for those who enjoys it and it is not something everyone should like just like we all venturing into different kind of businesses based on our interest and what we want. Gambling is not a bad act but when it is too much then it may looks very bad because of addiction. We all have different reason why we gamble from boredom to fun to making extra income to boost our stream of income.

[Mr. Magkaisa]

Nowadays we always have two choices and these are the good and the bad, the forbidden and the not forbidden. But often people what is forbidden and bad is what we always do whether we gamble or not. And then about your question, maybe if I am an expert gambler and often win at gambling, I would always wish that gambling would not be banned here in our country. So in real life, if I'm the only one to follow, it's okay to stop gambling or not.

[coupable]

but the legislator has no right to pass laws prohibiting these practices because they simply fall under the issue of personal status.

Legislators have the right to pass laws prohibiting gambling.

That's their role in the first place, to pass laws.

However, the final say will be on the President or the Head of the State.

Let us first agree that gambling is a personal freedom that should not be prohibited for any reason within a legal framework, even if it is harmful in one way or another.

We can't take that statement of yours in a country where gambling is totally banned.

But there are two important points if the ban takes place, and they are firstly about preventing children from entering this field, which is an early age to enter into such a situation, and secondly, it is to reduce cases of addiction that lead to the death of individuals, just as it happens with legislation that prevents drug consumption and their trafficking.

When gambling is totally banned in the country, I doubt more children will be open to doing it.

There will be worries and mostly will be afraid to do such activities as gambling is now the same with other illegal activities.

Regarding the enactment of law: There is what is called the philosophy of law or the spirit of the law that must be observed in a manner that does not conflict with the personal freedoms of individuals. Here, I mean, of course, the man-made laws whose purposes are inspired by the ratified international conventions related to human rights. Perhaps this is not the case in many countries, but it should not be overlooked when we bring up the topic for discussion. As for the effect of the ban on children, it will certainly be useful. Let's take the example of Islamic countries where gambling is prohibited by a sacred religious text. There are no statistics, but certainly the percentage of children's turnout for betting games is much lower than in other countries.

[Sirait]

Religions across the world have been warning us of the dangers of gambling for centuries.

This is an invalid argument. Most religions also say that there's a creator watching us from the sky Some also say that there's heaven and hell and if you go against the rules of god you will end up suffering for eternity. When something is built on lies it shouldn't be taken seriously.

If you want to live by those rules you can be in favor of banning gambling but don't expect that other people will be like you. Don't try to enforce your opinions on others.

When we talk about human rights, we will definitely put aside the teachings applied by religion. I believe in religious teachings and apply them too but I also respect those who gamble as part of their life choices, even though they are not active gamblers but for now I think everyone should be able to regulate their gambling habits, because gambling is without rules not only violates the norms set by religion but will also complicate social relations, especially with family.

[Distinctin]

Nowadays we always have two choices and these are the good and the bad, the forbidden and the not forbidden. But often people what is forbidden and bad is what we always do whether we gamble or not. And then about your question, maybe if I am an expert gambler and often win at gambling, I would always wish that gambling would not be banned here in our country. So in real life, if I'm the only one to follow, it's okay to stop gambling or not.

Gambling is just entertainment it should not be banned, there are people who have problems with gambling but the majority are actually enjoying gambling. It's fun if you are responsible, and it's not or it will ruin your life if you don't gamble responsibly, so hopefully, we get the point here.

[3meek]

If we are talking about banning online casinos, then we should consider all risky things where a person could lose money... For example it could be stock or cryptocurrency exchanges, poker, dice, bookmakers, lotteries... All of these things have about the same effect on a person and are habit-forming. It seems to me that it can never be closed down because it brings in huge amounts of money... If the world were fair, they would have banned the sale of alcohol and cigarettes long ago...

[BobK71]

Gambling is not at the previous level. It is now called as Industry. Most of the countries in the world have casinos or gambling places. Moreover, the government is getting huge revenue from this industry every year. It is said that if you are not addicted to gambling then it will not cause any problem. But if not, your life may turn into unbearable. That is why it is always said to consider gambling as a means of entertainment. Thousands of people now find their employment in the gambling industry. Gambling is not a modern invention it is running form the old age. So it is not possible to ban.

[serjent05]

Gambling is not at the previous level. It is now called as Industry. Most of the countries in the world have casinos or gambling places. Moreover, the government is getting huge revenue from this industry every year. It is said that if you are not addicted to gambling then it will not cause any problem. But if not, your life may turn into unbearable. That is why it is always said to consider gambling as a means of entertainment. Thousands of people now find their employment in the gambling industry. Gambling is not a modern invention it is running form the old age. So it is not possible to ban.

Aside from government income, gambling is also useful for mental health if used properly.  As entertainment, it relieves a lot of stress after a long hour of work.  For people who need social activity, a gambling Casino is also a good place to interact with friends and meet new friends. So we will miss something like that if gambling is banned, so no for gambling ban.

[og kush420]

Gambling is not at the previous level. It is now called as Industry. Most of the countries in the world have casinos or gambling places. Moreover, the government is getting huge revenue from this industry every year. It is said that if you are not addicted to gambling then it will not cause any problem. But if not, your life may turn into unbearable. That is why it is always said to consider gambling as a means of entertainment. Thousands of people now find their employment in the gambling industry. Gambling is not a modern invention it is running form the old age. So it is not possible to ban.

Gambling is legal in many countries and it's bringing so much revenue to the states. Also where it is not legal people are getting benefited
So - this is not an easy thing to ban gambling. Neither it is possible anyway!

[acroman08]

But KYC has its own pros and cons but when the subject is about hindering minors from doing these kind of activities, then KYC is somewhat useful but for adults, doing KYC will be a risky thing to do because every detail will be used in the illegal transactions or dark web if the site will be hacked (hopefully not). Personally, I also don't support banning online gambling but I think they could do more useful and safer regulation aside from that risky KYC.

read my post again, I am not saying that they should require KYC when registering(I understand the risk of KYC), I am saying, aside from regulating casinos they should also spread awareness regarding the dangers of gambling and teach people about being a responsible gambler since KYC isn't enough.