the other side of banning gambling

[rodskee]

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.

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?

[dimonstration]

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. 

[Sandra_hakeem]

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

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?

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.[/url][/u]

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?

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.

[shinratensei_]

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?

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.

[rdluffy]

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

[Ojinga]

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

[Proty]

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.

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?

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.

[programmer3666]

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.

[giammangiato]

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.

[danherbias07]

"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.

[Rockstarguy]

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

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.

[Stepstowealth]

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?

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.

[Merit.s]

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?

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.

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.

[btc78]

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.

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

[Obim34]

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.

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?

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.

[Alphakilo]

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?

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.

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.

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.

[aoluain]

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.

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?

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.

[Odusko]

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?

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.

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.

[Synchronice]

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?

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.

[AprilioMP]

?
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?

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.