A controversial question

[sunsilk]

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

That's terrible idea for them if they are stopping the operations and yet, they want something out of it.

There has to be a 2-way contract for them. The casino makes money from their people, and they have to make them pay for their tax obligations.

And when it's already on them, it's going to give that funding to whatever cause they want to make depending on the policies and laws where the funding is needed that shall be enjoyed by its people as well.

[Hispo]

Governments should tax casinos fairly, as they tax any other business, after all, casinos are businesses. Right?
Though, I am against governments taxing people who win money from gambling, since that income comes from completely from random numbers and without any predictable pattern or planning, so it would not make sense to tax it.
Casinos have the house edge so they always get money, on the other hand, governments need to leave alone lucky winners of lotteries, sport betting and casino games. In the end, those lucky winners will be taxes through their expenses, but allow them to keep all their winnings.

Well, as much as I don't like them taxing us for our winnings, it's an income, it doesn't matter how it came all established and regulated casinos in Greece (not cryptocurrency ones), automatically deduct an amount of your winnings over 100€.  This is why a large number of people (including myself), resort to cryptocurrency casinos, which are often blocked on most EU countries,  to avoid losing portion of your earnings. However, it isn't unreasonable. Governments want to make money, and that's great if they're putting it into good use for the communities.

It is reasonable governments want to get their income from somewhere, but there are other places to see for it, they could increase taxes on tobacco or alcohol, or try to increase production of good and services to be sold abroad, in order to fund the whole country, right?
Take a look at Australia, it is a country which traditionally does not taxe it's gamblers and yet, it is considered a developed country, while there are other countries which tax their citizens over their winnings at casinos, and yet they are dealing with many economical problems.
It is not only about collecting money, it has also much to do with how money is managed, don't you think?

[Ronsbit]

Just like you have said, the gambling industry is like every other industries making profit in every nation where they find themselves and for that reasons, they owe the government tax and from the taxes paid the government use to further develop the city and Provide basic amenities for the people in the society. So there is nothing wrong of the government take tax from gambling industry because the gambling industry is a profit oriented organisation so if the government request that they pay tax, there is nothing they can do about it.

[lionheart78]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?

Why not?  Why should the government not take advantage of the industry to gain profit?  After all the tax is used to give convenience to people may it be through charity, infrastructure development, etc.

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

If they ban gambling then the government won't be taxing it since there is no licensed gambling company to tax.  I never heard of a government banning gambling and at the same time wanting to profit from it.  As far as I know, if the government wanted to take advantage of the gambling industry, they have to lift the ban if they restricted it and then give license to gambling operators and from that they can tax them to use where ever the government wanted to.

[o48o]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?

But my answer for this question is yes there should be no problem with the government making use of the gambling industry because to me the gambling industry is just almost the same as other industries where the country makes their money from like tourism for example. All the industries have its own negative effects and gambling has too so I do not see any reason why the govt shouldn't be taking advantage of the gambling industry,

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

Make profit how? Taxing them or winners as well? Personally i don't have to pay taxes from any wins i get from casinos that are inside European Economic Area.

But if i had to choose institutions that don't need to be taxed, i wouldn't start from gambling industry, as casinos often have huge revenue anyway. There are probably ton of other industries that bring ton of jobs and are essential part of supply chain that government can subsidize and set lower taxes for.

[coin-investor]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?
It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

That’s because gambling has risks for players who happen to be citizens of their country, who treat gambling as a source of income. They must benefit because they operate under their jurisdiction, and this applies to all industries operating within it.

They are doing what is right and not being hypocritical. The country needs to protect its citizens and, at the same time, enjoy the benefits from taxes from the gambling industry, because casinos, after all, are profit-driven platforms.

Like everyone else here, I wonder why this is a controversial question.

[Renampun]

This might be like the government profiting from the cigarette industry, they gain a lot of benefits from this industry, even though this industry actually has a big negative impact on public health. and also like that when the government gets tax revenue from the gambling industry in their country, this money is then used by the government to fund various public programs such as infrastructure, etc., it is actually not a big problem, but many people think that this is hypocritical, because the government on the one hand limits gambling activities, but on the other hand still profits from the taxes.

[STT]

Governments tax almost every industry, I would be very surprised if they left alone gambling when its such a durable reliably profitable industry to tax.  They of course are going to reap the rewards of someone else's industry just as they do with every company and business in grasp of the state, that's the unfortunate norm.
   Modern governments spend gigantic amounts, the tax is a given to pay for that spending it cant not tax everything seems to be par for the course now.

[programmer3666]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?

My answer is mandatory because they are people who work for the people, so profits from gambling, whether taxes or other sources, must be used for the welfare of the people especially since this industry has grown rapidly and generated substantial profits, as is the case with cigarettes, but if they restrict gambling, what will they gain? Nothing, so they must be open to gambling.

if the government is already allowing gambling then it only makes sense that the profits or taxes collected from it should be used to benefit the general public things like improving healthcare, education or addiction rehabilitation centers could be funded through this revenue also the government must try to strike a balance!! it should not promote gambling too aggressively just because of the income it brings otherwise it risks exploiting people’s weaknesses for profit!! so yeah using gambling revenue for public welfare is good! as long as proper regulations and social safeguards are in place

[kawetsriyanto]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?

I don't see something controversial with this question. It is a fine question, I assume anyone can answer it. Well, the government also has the right to get taxes from the gambling industry if it can be operated in the country.

But my answer for this question is yes there should be no problem with the government making use of the gambling industry because to me the gambling industry is just almost the same as other industries where the country makes their money from like tourism for example. All the industries have its own negative effects and gambling has too so I do not see any reason why the govt shouldn't be taking advantage of the gambling industry

Indeed, it is similar with another industry. They must pay taxes to the government, it is something normal and applied in any country in the world. Regarding the effects, surely any industry has negative and positive impacts. The government can minimize the negative impacts by creating certain regulation to prevent it.

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

I am sure the government won't expect for the benefits if they restrict/prohibit the gambling. It is only the government where the gambling is legal which expect for the benefits from the gambling industry. You must be aware that each country may have a different status about gambling legality. In some countries it can be legal, but it can be illegal in other countries.

[Text]

I agree as long as the government properly regulates the gambling industry & ensures that the profits are used for public good like improving healthcare, education/infrastructure then I don’t see a problem with it. Every industry has its pros & cons & gambling is no exception what matters more is transparency & accountability. It would be unfair if the government keeps restricting the people but still benefits from it either they fully support & regulate it responsibly/they stay consistent w/ their stance.

[Scarlett_23]

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

How can they really benefit if they’re restricting it?

The main reason some countries ban gambling is because of religious beliefs. Even if they could earn tax revenue from gambling operators, they won’t sacrifice their belief, for them, faith is more important than money. Another reason is when gambling addiction gets out of control and starts leading to crimes. So when they weigh the risks and rewards, the risk becomes too high, and banning it makes sense.

Besides, gambling isn’t the only way for a country to make money. There’s always money to be made if they’re creative enough.

It is not that gambling will be completely stopped if the government stops gambling. Nowadays, in the age of the internet, it has expanded more widely. So, the government can take it from gambling as it is doing from other sectors.

But when the number of people addicted to gambling spreads and they play out of control, it can also lead to crime. People will then try to find success in gambling without finding any other source of income.

[rat03gopoh]

How can they really benefit if they’re restricting it?

The main reason some countries ban gambling is because of religious beliefs.

Some governments actually "accept" the gambling industry through the back door, allowing people to gamble but without the state receiving any benefits. In my country, gambling is prohibited for that very reason. But it's not uncommon to hear rumors that a casino site (affiliate) is allegedly owned by a law enforcement official, thus automatically gaining strong backing (immunity from the law). Then, they collaborate with the necessary officials to fully exempt it from censorship.

[LogitechMouse]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?

But my answer for this question is yes there should be no problem with the government making use of the gambling industry because to me the gambling industry is just almost the same as other industries where the country makes their money from like tourism for example. All the industries have its own negative effects and gambling has too so I do not see any reason why the govt shouldn't be taking advantage of the gambling industry,

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

Nothing controversial on this one, and I think every government where gambling isn't prohibited is making profit from these casinos thru the tax that they're paying. The controversial question is that: "Are the governments really using that profit that they're getting on these casinos on public services?" That's a better question because it's a given that governments are making money from these establishments .

We can't blame those countries where gambling is banned because they might have another way of getting the money that they can get thru gambling. There are some governments that are choosing the welfare of their countrymen rather than the money that they can get from these gambling casinos. I don't think that restricting gambling is considered "hypocritical" because we know that there are some countries that have religious beliefs like what many said here. Of course, they know that they will not get any benefits at all when they ban gambling, but it's okay for them not to have one.

[FinneysTrueVision]

In Nevada, where gambling is so popular, residents don’t have to pay state income taxes. The state gets most of its revenue from the casino industry. When people are able to keep more of their income this is typically beneficial for the local economy.

There are definitely benefits to being able to subsidize the cost of public services through gambling, however, you don’t want to become too dependent on a single industry. Lately, tourism has sharply declined and fewer people are going to casinos in Las Vegas, which has resulted in increasing unemployment and homelessness. Gambling is also legal on many tribal reservations, but this has not created prosperity for the majority of the indigenous population.

Even though gambling is a net benefit economically, you cannot solve all of society’s issues through money alone.

[junder]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?

But my answer for this question is yes there should be no problem with the government making use of the gambling industry because to me the gambling industry is just almost the same as other industries where the country makes their money from like tourism for example. All the industries have its own negative effects and gambling has too so I do not see any reason why the govt shouldn't be taking advantage of the gambling industry,

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

When a country allows gambling and many casinos thrive, I think it's natural for the government to profit from these casinos. It might even be a form of tax, or even a form of taxation. But the problem, I think, is that many governments are dishonest and dishonest. Sometimes they're selfish and only think about themselves. It's also rare, in my opinion, for a government to be truly honest and trustworthy in carrying out its duties.
The government in my country seems hypocritical. They warn the public against gambling, but now they're protecting the casinos (owners), which is happening, of course, because they're making a profit. It's truly ridiculous.

[Ishicryptic]

A government cannot reap where it did not sow or where they don't have interest in so if they allow gambling and regulate the industry they have every justification to tax casinos and use the money for the good of their economy. It should be a lesson for those that hate gambling yet they are benefiting from gambling taxation from their government, they wouldn't deny the positive impact of gambling in their economy. It is like a region in my country that bans alcohol in their states yet they collect allocations from federal government that includes taxation of alcoholic beverages that they ban.

[AHOYBRAUSE]

Some may consider this a controversial question: Should governments be making profit from the gambling industry and use said profit for public services?

But my answer for this question is yes there should be no problem with the government making use of the gambling industry because to me the gambling industry is just almost the same as other industries where the country makes their money from like tourism for example. All the industries have its own negative effects and gambling has too so I do not see any reason why the govt shouldn't be taking advantage of the gambling industry,

It will only be hypocritical if they are restricting gambling but wanting to get benefits from it.

This question has been answered by several governments already, a good example for that is Germany. They charge tax for basically everything gambling related for years already. Every sports bet you make in Germany costs you 5%. Even at poker, every pot you win will charge you 5%, which is actually insane if you consider you also need to pay rake. Where this money goes in the end, no clue. Guess into some high pension for the politicians that came up with the idea. 

[nullama]

A government cannot reap where it did not sow or where they don't have interest in so if they allow gambling and regulate the industry they have every justification to tax casinos and use the money for the good of their economy. It should be a lesson for those that hate gambling yet they are benefiting from gambling taxation from their government, they wouldn't deny the positive impact of gambling in their economy. It is like a region in my country that bans alcohol in their states yet they collect allocations from federal government that includes taxation of alcoholic beverages that they ban.

Yeah, at the end of the day governments will allow gambling mostly because of the money they can get from those activities.

It's usually a tricky thing to consider though, because adding these addictions into the country means that there is a need to create some plans for rehab for addicted people.

I think the governments don't spend too much on these programs, so in the end they get to keep the money, and they just let the citizens suffer the consequences.

[ovcijisir]

In my country gambling and betting are allowed and government takes the cut. The government taxes winnings from 10 % up to 30 %, depending on the amount won.

In my opinion it is ok, as long as the taxes are spent purposely on infrastructure or improving quality of life of the citizens and not corruption.