Get On The Boat

One of the biggest stories in the sporting world right now is former NHL player and current assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes gambling problem. His problem isn't that he gambles, it's that he got caught. (For more on that story go here.) This story brought up some old feelings of mine that I've had for a while.

Why not just make gambling legal?

There is a lot more good that can come out of it than bad. Just take a look at daily life here in America. Gambling is everywhere. There are Lotto's, and instant tickets. Casino's are popping up in towns all across the country when they used to be restricted to Nevada. When you open up a newspaper you see the point spreads for all the days sporting events. Even the times and horses in the area horse tracks are listed along with odds. You cannot turn on the television without a poker show being shown on some channel. IT'S EVERYWHERE.

So why isn't it legal? So many concessions have been made in local governments with casinos that just going all the way with legalization shouldn't be that difficult of a task. Instead our government is too busy trying to find ways to regulate the gambling that goes on. Like internet sportsbooks that are based off shore. The government wants to put a stop to such things, cuz well, they can't get their hands on any of that money. Perhaps if the government would make such businesses legal they would base themselves on American soil and could be taxed.

I am a gambler. I play online poker quite often, and during the NFL season I bet on football. When March rolls around I will bet on the NCAA Tournament. I know a lot of other people who do the exact same thing. There is a notion by a lot of people in America however that gamblers are nothing but a bunch of degenerates. That notion is simply outdated and untrue. Yes there are degenerate gamblers, but I think legalizing the practice could help curb gambling from getting to be a problem for some.

Legalizing it takes all the seediness out of it. No longer is it a back door, behind closed doors practice. Also with government regulated sportsbooks, and casino's money is needed up front. These days you only have to call your bookie and say "Gimme $500 on Duke." You don't actually need the $500 on you though for your bookie to take the bet. This leads to a lot of problems for gamblers. They start betting money they don't have to bet. Well legalization helps take care of that problem because then you can only bet what you have. Try going to a horse track and telling the guy at the ticket window you wanna put $500 on Horse 6 in the 8th race, but only have $20 on you. You'll bring the rest later. See what that gets you.

Personally that's why I prefer online sportsbooks. You have an account, and you cannot wager more than you have in the account. It's the way it should be.

Gambling as it is meant to be is just nothing more than another form of entertainment. State governments are learning just what a large boost to state revenue it can be too. The U.S. Government needs to get on the ball. Prohibition didn't keep people from drinking in the early 1900's, it just kept a lot of communities from getting a large source of income from taverns and bars. Gambling in America is the same way right now. If the government wants to figure out a way to get their hands on the money, there is no simpler way than legalizing and regulating gambling. I'm sure a way to share the profits on a state and federal level could be easily agreed upon if the effort was put forth. Just lay down a few laws that say if an individual wins X amount of money they pay X amount of taxes and so on. Then create a plan to share those taxes between state and federal levels.

Now, I am by no means any kind of expert when it comes to how this could really happen. I am also fully aware that somebody who is could easily come by here and tell me how incredibly stupid and naive I sound. I don't care. If you can think it, it can be done. I'm just gonna shut my mouth now and get back to doing what I do so well, talking sports. Not lobbying. (Paging Jack Abramoff.)