Sad reality: some countries gamble more than they can afford

[GideonGono]

For me the country or place where a gambler lives doesn't affect it, it is on how they control their greed it doesn't matter if their rich or poor.
If they couldn't control their greed then it how it would always be they would always gamble more than they could afford.
Investment and gambling they all comes down to how you manage or control your funds, if you couldn't manage it properly then the result is always the same/

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[virasog]

But governments sure as hell are there to profit whenever a gambler wins anything, heavily taxing big winnings... What makes me even angrier is that these licensed casinos do very little to offer gamblers resources to play responsibly, and do nothing to educate gamblers about house edge. Also, none of their games run on provably fair algorithms. And yet the government does very little to regulate them after having sold them a license...

Are you talking about the gambling casinos within Greece that are not provably fair ?  I think most people will prefer to play & gamble online at trusted casinos that are provably fair. Yes, the losing ratio is on these casinos is still high but if anyone is playing at a local casino that is not provably fair, then for sure he is wasting his money on that casino.

And Greece isn't a rich country by any means. Many families are facing hardship, unemployment is high, youth emigration is rising etc... Things don't look particularly good for the economy in general.

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

Well, even if Greece is not a rich country, still its the people choice to try their luck in Gambling. As you mentioned the unemployment rate is high in Greece, so people try to find a living out of gambling. The government, instead of thinking of putting a ban on casinos, why not first create opportunities for their youth so that they can earn? Once the jobs are created, many people will quit gambling automatically whose purpose is to earn money from gambling.

Putting a ban on gambling in such a situation is not a solution. Better try to improve the living facilities and provide jobs to the individuals and then expect them to leave gambling.

[alegotardo]

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

I cannot speak about the situation in Greece in isolation, as I am a foreigner and am unfamiliar with the situation you described.
In any case, I agree that on a global scenario, governments do little to effectively regulate licensed casinos, it seems to me that they only care about ensuring that tax money is properly paid.

An even more serious issue is money laundering, I see that supervision against this criminal practice is very mild in many countries. However, at crypto casinos we are required to perform KYC for any withdrawal we try to make... quite unfair.
Anyway... I doubt this will change, governments only care about raising money.

[Chikito]

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

I am really sure the government cannot also solve the people's life problems when stop the casino operation. The government should have provided a solution first before making the conclusion. We know that people is play gambling just to increase their income to meet their needs. if it is stopped and the government has not yet found a solution to overcome unemployment, and increase income, that's the same as cutting their neck indirectly. This problem is faced by many developing countries, so I'm not surprised if it will happen again in many countries in the future.

[Poker Player]

The OP could apply the same to poorer districts in rich countries:

UK’s most deprived areas have highest number of gambling outlets – report

People in poor neighborhoods are twice as likely to have gambling problems, study finds

So I don't think it's a problem of countries, it seems to be linked to socioeconomic status. In general wealthy people are aware that gambling is not a good way to earn money and on the other hand poor people tend to put more false hopes on it.

[retreat]

Even in my country, which is a Muslim country where the operation of gambling platforms is prohibited, there are millions of people who gamble here with total transactions reaching $6.5 billion USD, that is a pretty crazy number considering that this is a developing country and spiritual behavior here is very high. This is ironic, because there are still many cases of stunting, malnutrition, extreme poverty, and many other things, but many people actually prefer to gamble their money rather than provide the best food for their children.
The government's role does not appear to be very significant in cracking down on these gambling platforms, as their contribution to the country's development is non-existent. The government should be able to regulate these gambling platforms so that they can provide tax income for the country and be used for human resource development and various other things.

[Litzki1990]

If people of your country lose 10% of total GDP by gambling then it must be said that people of your country are very much attracted to gambling. You have collected this information only from the official sites but there are various unofficial sites in which a large number of people are gambling. If the people of your country could earn the amount of money you mentioned by gambling then it would be good news for the economy of your country but the people of your country have lost this huge amount of money only through gambling. Based on the information that you have collected, if the media of your country reports, then maybe the people of your country and the government of your country will be aware enough about gambling. I am amazed by the statistics that people of a country lose 10% of their GDP by gambling.

[coin-investor]

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

Based on the article you provided this is the amount the government of Greece received, it is for players only not included in these taxes are industries that revolve around these casinos online and offline, and it could grow in the coming years if the trend does not change.

Last year, according to EEET data, the State received 743.1 million from the taxation of players.

The government cannot just ignore the figure that helps them sustain their treasury.

The government can only educate its people on the many negative effects of too much gambling and like the casinos they promote casinos whether online or offline as an entertainment portal, it's up to the gambler how he treats gambling, there are who treats gambling the right way and some players who go the extra mile and treat gambling as their ticket to financial freedom.
As long as the people are not stealing and many are getting sick because of gambling government will not cut these casinos which sustain their coffers.

[rodskee]

I was looking at gambling statistics for my country the other day. People in Greece lost 22.5 billion EUR only in 2021, and 29 billion in 2022 and that was only on licensed establishments.

29 billion Euros for 2022 only?that is a huge money just to be Lose in gambling does this mean Gambling
 operators are really earning billions of Euros each year.that can covers our country's expenses for the whole year.

and the saddest part is that looks like people are losing money that can feed their family instead it goes to the operators.

Hoping that the government will act accordingly and seems like Greece are losing to gambling owner .

[Lida93]

What makes me even angrier is that these licensed casinos do very little to offer gamblers resources to play responsibly, and do nothing to educate gamblers about house edge.

Gambling is an adult activity and as adult you shouldn't expect to be spoon-fed all in. You have got some responsibility to read things for yourself as I believe that's part of being a responsible gambler as you begin to gamble. Imbibing the culture of reading the ToS of casinos can save us from certain mistakes.
 

And Greece isn't a rich country by any means. Many families are facing hardship, unemployment is high, youth emigration is rising etc... Things don't look particularly good for the economy in general.

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

poor or rich country should matter whether casinos settle there or not. The governmnt won't chased away these casinos and the casinos won't leave if they're getting good returns. It's left for the citizens to realize they are poor and stop gambling with the little money they have and when the casinos comprehend they are not making profits they will will have to exit on their own. If you all keep waiting for the government you'll wait for endlessly.

The casinos are not operating for free the government are benefiting from the taxes they pay using those tax money to run other infrastructural affairs of the country. The government desire that tax money more than you could imagine which is why you can't get the strict restrictions you expecting of the government to gambling companies in their country.

[Lanatsa]

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

Based on that article you provided this is the government of Greece received, is for players only not included in these taxes are industries that revolve around these casinos online and offline, and it could grow in the coming years if the trend does not change.

Last year, according to EEET data, the State received 743.1 million from the taxation of players.

The government cannot just ignore the figure that helps them sustain their treasury.

The government can only educate its people on the many negative effects of too much gambling and like the casinos they promote casinos whether online or offline as an entertainment portal, it's up to the gambler how he treats gambling, there are who treats gambling the right way and some players who go the extra mile and treat gambling as their ticket to financial freedom.
As long as the people are not stealing and many are getting sick because of gambling government will not cut these casinos which sustain their coffers.

If government do really get that huge chunk when it comes to taxes of gambling industry they it would be unlikely that they would really be tending or planning to ban it on which it doesnt really make sense on doing so or really just that normal that they would really be giving out importance instead considering that taxation part which does really have that huge role when it comes to economic development and government would really be that focusing on  that rather than on thinking about their citizens condition when it comes to gambling addiction.If it turns out to be severe then they might really be putting up some control or restrictions but never ever they would really be that considering on banning or closing it.

In speaking about playing gambling then if they can afford it, then why would really be bothering yourself on minding about their gambling activity?
It wont really matter about on countries economic situation or condition on which everyone could really be
freely be able to play despite of the condition.

[Z390]

It's not the fault of the government in that country, people are just generally stupid, so much that they believe they can get luck with riches for not working, they deserve the result they are getting, if anyone is so dependant on gambling as his or her way to stardom or success they deserve any consequences that comes after.

This is why I don't believe in luck, I am someone who intentionally reject gifts, there must be a reason why you are giving it to me, what do you want back? Nothing is free and people don't believe this, if you really on getting lucky you will end up sleeping beside the road.

Believe in yourself, create a value and don't chase money, if you can create a value money will come to you with easy, you can't be useless and expect to make money, this is what people are doing, gambling looks like the perfect way to escape from their worthless choices, little did they know that what awaits them will even drown them further into poverty.

There is nothing anyone can say that will change my mind with the way I see this world, to get rich you need to create a value first, and what comes after is having patience, a man of value can generate millions once his value is acknowledged.

[Hirose UK]

Gambling is an activity that is carried out and enjoyed by all levels of society from the lower to upper classes so that gamblers do not know whether they are experiencing bad financial conditions or not, but when they hold certain amount of money they will definitely use it as gambling capital.

Moreover, the increase in budget figures for gambling is not influenced by whether the country is rich or poor country because it all depends on how the people respond to gambling in difficult economic conditions.
Did you forgotten that many levels of society with low economic levels enter into gambling with the aim of having additional income, even though this is the wrong decision but they know how to make money for gambling and all the risks are at their own risk.

I consider the increase in the gambling budget in country to be normal and in fact, every day in each country the number of gamblers increases which really looks very significant.

[Gozie51]

But governments sure as hell are there to profit whenever a gambler wins anything, heavily taxing big winnings...

If government collect tax from the gambling of people in your country it means they are also suppose to use it in providing social amenities and support to the people. except if it is agreed that some social responsibilities from the gambling casino is going to be obligated also.

The money used in gambling to me is not a waste if government collect tax from it which is as revenue to the government. They only need to use it appropriately for the benefit of the people and that means part of the money used in gambling goes back to the society

Also, none of their games run on provably fair algorithms. And yet the government does very little to regulate them after having sold them a license...

This is unpatriotic. Moreover the government should be able to regulate this and ensure that customers are protected, fairness in the games of betting is so much needed.

What makes me even angrier is that these licensed casinos do very little to offer gamblers resources to play responsibly, and do nothing to educate gamblers about house edge.

Somehow these could be in TOS and casino will not be liable to customers losses when they bet. Afterall they are betting to win from the casino so they should be able to take the risk or play and manage their bankroll. If you can't understand the risk in gambling then don't gamble.

[len01]

restrictions will not prevent gamblers from visiting casinos and various ways can be used to gamble and one of them is technological developments, currently many gambling sites are licensed and easily accessible from any country because sometimes a platform allows the use of VPN.
and on the one hand I agree with some users here who say that actually it is each individual responsibility because gambling is a choice and if someone wants to live a healthy life then stay away from gambling and if you want to continue living in poverty keep gambling every day. so no matter how hard you try to restrict casinos, you not be able to stop gamblers from betting because it has become the gamblers choice.

best advice is not to restrict casinos but provide education through advertising or other means to inform them about the ill effects of irresponsible gambling, which seems more reasonable.

[Mate2237]

What you have said is not only in Greece but all over the whole world. If Greece lost such amount on gambling only then my country gambling rate is more than that of Greece. Unemployment is one the key player of rising rate of gambling. Many countries youths lost their income and earning in gambling and why because they are thinking to double their income from gambling and if the salary of those gamblers are big enough to meet up their family needs then I don't think they would gamble t lost funds the way they are doing now.

If government mistakenly stop gambling in the society then crime will come back to the streets again and it will be at the peak like before. The matter what gambling reduce crime to a minimal way. Though it is not totally but a little bit. Government should not restrict it but instead regulate it.

[Kemarit]

If people of your country lose 10% of total GDP by gambling then it must be said that people of your country are very much attracted to gambling. You have collected this information only from the official sites but there are various unofficial sites in which a large number of people are gambling. If the people of your country could earn the amount of money you mentioned by gambling then it would be good news for the economy of your country but the people of your country have lost this huge amount of money only through gambling. Based on the information that you have collected, if the media of your country reports, then maybe the people of your country and the government of your country will be aware enough about gambling. I am amazed by the statistics that people of a country lose 10% of their GDP by gambling.

This is just one case though, there could be other countries that have been losing more if we a look at the GDP and the amount of money they are losing. So it's not only Greece that are attracted to gambling. On the other hand Macau for example is really benefiting from gambling, as they are one of  the Mecca of gambling. Gamblers goes to that country to play and in term it generates a lot of money for them and their government.

Here are some numbers in 2017:



https://www.statista.com/statistics/552821/gambling-losses-per-adult-by-country-worldwide/

And now we understand why Australia's government right now is implementing ways to curb their gambling addiction. This data is 6 years old, so it could be that the numbers are higher now.

[Woodie]

I was looking at gambling statistics for my country the other day. People in Greece lost 22.5 billion EUR only in 2021, and 29 billion in 2022 and that was only on licensed establishments.

That's around 10% of Greece's GDP wasted away towards offshore companies... This is a very hard issue to deal with and to think that it happens at such a scale even with the licensed casinos is unthinkable.

And how do the numbers stack up for number of winners against the assumed lost money, because this data is inconclusive on its on. And I want to believe we might have a couple of big winners in this money lost too which hasn't been acknowledged.

Essentially governments sell a casino license once and then these casinos are given free reign on how to advertise, how to be promoted, what claims to make... No limits to how much they can earn.

Probably tax them for this service looking at how much money they make, and I honestly don't see them feeling the pinch either.

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

Unfortunately they will claim to say this is a potential venture to make money as job opportunities might not be available for everyone and governments hands are tied when it comes to regulating adult's.

[Rockstarguy]

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

I am really sure the government cannot also solve the people's life problems when stop the casino operation. The government should have provided a solution first before making the conclusion. We know that people is play gambling just to increase their income to meet their needs. if it is stopped and the government has not yet found a solution to overcome unemployment, and increase income, that's the same as cutting their neck indirectly. This problem is faced by many developing countries, so I'm not surprised if it will happen again in many countries in the future.

There are more important things that the government needs to work on that can benefit the people,  the truth is that in developing countries the rate at which people play gambling is always high because people have seen gambling as an easy way of making money and this should not be surprised to people. The government does not even have  any plan to stop gambling companies because they are also benefiting from this gambling companies.  In a country where employment rate is low , their is no doubt that young people will engage themselves to play gambling just to generate money for themselves.

[Hatchy]

I was looking at gambling statistics for my country the other day. People in Greece lost 22.5 billion EUR only in 2021, and 29 billion in 2022 and that was only on licensed establishments.

That's around 10% of Greece's GDP wasted away towards offshore companies... This is a very hard issue to deal with and to think that it happens at such a scale even with the licensed casinos is unthinkable. Essentially governments sell a casino license once and then these casinos are given free reign on how to advertise, how to be promoted, what claims to make... No limits to how much they can earn.

But governments sure as hell are there to profit whenever a gambler wins anything, heavily taxing big winnings... What makes me even angrier is that these licensed casinos do very little to offer gamblers resources to play responsibly, and do nothing to educate gamblers about house edge. Also, none of their games run on provably fair algorithms. And yet the government does very little to regulate them after having sold them a license...

And Greece isn't a rich country by any means. Many families are facing hardship, unemployment is high, youth emigration is rising etc... Things don't look particularly good for the economy in general.

What do you think about this issue where people gamble too much in countries where the vast majority of the population isn't well off? Should governments step in and restrict casinos more perhaps?

I don't think the government of such countries would be able to do anything about this. That because if they were responsible enough their citizens won't have taken gambling so seriously in the first place. Speaking from experience in a country like mine , where the government cares less about the interest of the people. The youths has taken the laws into their hands and gambling to them now is a way to earn an income. You see them on social medias boosting of how they made millions from placing little bets and advicing others to do same so as not to remain in a state of poverty. In such situations even if the government where to restrict gambling, it won't work out well because the citizens will always find a new means to turn the table around.