Introduction
Gambling should be banned and illegal. Gambling is very controversial topic which generates a lot of frictions and discussions. On the one hand, democratic system proclaims a freedoom of living. Therefore, you can do everything what you want to do. You can waste your money, if you want to. On the other hand, gambling is very dangerous issue. By Brian Tuohy. The 1961 Wire Act outlawed the use of wire communications among those in the gambling business, unless the transmission is both to and from a state where sports betting is legal. The 1964 Sports Bribery Act made it a federal crime to bribe a player, coach or referee to alter the outcome of a game.
Many people do not want to legalize gambling because they think that it would bring in crime, but crime will be present in spite of whether gambling is legalized or not. Cities who have made gambling illegal have as much of a problem with crime as cities who have an economy that is based on gambling.
The House Financial Services Committee approved a bill on Wednesday that would lift the ban on Internet gambling by authorizing the Treasury Department to license and regulate Web-based nonsports betting operators. A companion measure pending before the House Ways and Means Committee would let the Internal Revenue Service tax winnings from online wagers.
While the legislation is a long way from becoming law, the prospect of taxing the winnings that have been estimated at $42 billion over 10 years would be a huge source of revenue for the government. Should Internet gambling be legalized?
Read the Discussion »Debaters
A Historical Tradition
Raymond Sauer, professor of economics
Too Many Negative Side Effects
Earl L. Grinols, professor of economics
Bans Don’t Work
Michelle Minton, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Keep the Ban
John Kindt, professor of business and legal policy
Personal Freedom
Annie Duke, professional poker player
A Predatory Business
Les Bernal, Stop Predatory Gambling
Leveling the Playing Field
Robert Hahn, regulation2point0.org
Why Add More Options?
Larry Ashley, addiction specialist