Raid on Online Gambling Headquarters at TNI Official Residence.

[BALIK]

Why does the government impose these bans if they are clearly not going to be enforced? If the gambling industry is a highly profitable business, then in the event of a ban, this business does not disappear; it simply goes underground and becomes illegal. And any prohibitive measures are useless.

I agree that prohibition does not eliminate demand. But I would not say every ban is useless. Key consideration here is that imposing restriction on gambling does offer certain benefit. But do these outweigh harm caused by pushing segment of market into illegal and unregulated channel?

You also need to consider incentive for enforcement. When any business is illegal yet highly profitable then very power to regulate it become source of income for corrupt official. On one hand they talk about taking action against operator, while on other they protect them and profit from doing so. However there is no evidence to suggest that this is simply power struggle between rival gambling group.

[uneng]

It's crazy to be honest. It's like the cops themselves selling drugs, which in reality do happen in some places.
Seems like these agencies are corrupted to the core. Since they are running gambling operations themselves just imagine how many sites would have bribed them.
Can't really trust anyone these days. You might be thinking your funds are under safe hands but they themselves might be the theives.

The people who make the laws consider such laws to not apply to themselves, so they can act as they wish. In India there is a explicit 'caste system', and in other countries there is an implicit one. People pretend they are all equal citizens towards the law, but for real, we know it's not how it works...

Moreover, the fact there is a blackmarket going on inside the country means there is profit to be made through bribery by some officials. Casinos will continue operating, but instead of paying directly to the government in a regulated way, they pay to government's officers who take care of the inspection and control of clandestine operations in the country.

[angrybirdy]

Why does the government impose these bans if they are clearly not going to be enforced? If the gambling industry is a highly profitable business, then in the event of a ban, this business does not disappear; it simply goes underground and becomes illegal. And any prohibitive measures are useless.

I agree that prohibition does not eliminate demand. But I would not say every ban is useless. Key consideration here is that imposing restriction on gambling does offer certain benefit. But do these outweigh harm caused by pushing segment of market into illegal and unregulated channel?

You also need to consider incentive for enforcement. When any business is illegal yet highly profitable then very power to regulate it become source of income for corrupt official. On one hand they talk about taking action against operator, while on other they protect them and profit from doing so. However there is no evidence to suggest that this is simply power struggle between rival gambling group.

Whereas I concur that gambling poses harm to certain people, it also has advantages in safeguarding the vulnerable from becoming victims of addiction as well as loss of money. There remains another question; do the pros outweigh the cons of the illegalization of the activities, considering the possibility of the gambling firms operating underground without any oversight or supervision at all? those illegal gambling may offer an opportunity for the vice of bribery as certain people may demand kickbacks or not implement the law properly. Nevertheless, if we have no proof at all, it would be wrong to conclude that enforcement activities arise from rivalry among the gambling firms.