Online Casino Edition – Casino News News about online casinos and gambling

According to most religious traditions that include the concept of a god, gambling is considered a deadly sin. This belief stems from the notion that the gambler is committing crimes of hubris in trying to bypass the will of God. In some countries that have very strong fundamentalist religious beliefs gambling is still prohibited as morally wrong. In our western folk literature the gambler has been seen as an outlaw, a mischief-maker. The activities around gambling have been seen to take place in dark and shady circumstances. Criminal activity and gangsters have been associated with the dark world of the casino. Legal prohibition against gambling derived from the same source as prohibition against alcohol.

What’s new is that gambling laws have been liberalizing very rapidly in North America. The increasing public perception is that gambling is recreation. Ideas about responsible gambling have been promulgated in the press much as ideas about safe and responsible alcohol use have shown up in the media and advertising. Gambling casinos have been coupled with some of the best entertainment venues in the nation adding to the perception of gambling as a wholesome pastime.

Part of what happened, of course, is that governments have discovered the tax revenue potential of gambling and gambling casinos. Gambling is seen as a painless tax, enabling governments to raise revenue without instituting real taxes. In many cases gambling has enabled state and municipal governments to move out of what had seemed inescapable deficit. Gambling has also been a boon to charitable organizations who often sponsor gambling events, no longer limited to Bingo as they once were. New casinos are opening in Atlantic City, New York, Maryland, Ohio, North Dakota and elsewhere. Kentucky lawmakers are working on an expansion of gambling in their state.

Although the liberalization of gambling laws continues apace, the fight goes on in many places as well. Saratoga, New York recently took a stand by passing a resolution to keep gambling casinos out of their county in spite of the New York State law that permits gambling. Part of Saratoga’s motivation, of course, is to prevent casinos from competing with Saratoga’s very profitable horse race gambling business. Pennsylvania casinos have seen a decline in revenues for the first time since 2006 when the state opened up casino gambling. Other jurisdictions such as Ohio and Florida have seen a leveling of gambling revenue.

What’s really new is the increased liberalization of on line gambling. A few governments such as Washington, DC., Nevada, and Kentucky are set to institute large scale on line gambling. Online gambling does pose special problems because minors and youth can not easily be barred from it. As online gambling expands, much concern has been expressed about gambling addiction among youth. Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling estimates half a million teenagers have gambling addiction problems in the United States. Whyte advises that as states join the liberalization of on-line gambling laws they should be conducting studies of the effects on youth gambling addiction. As governments maximize revenue from gambling, Whyte says, governments should take steps to minimize social costs.

Oregon traditionally is known as a slow mover as compared to other states when it comes to catching up with developments. The state will once again be tested for this theory when it votes this week to decide whether or not to approve Measure 75, a casino gambling proposition.

Residents of many states in the US are warming up to the concept of having a local gambling center or casino in their hometown instead of having to face the discomfiture of travelling to other states. A majority of the states have given approval to new casinos and are enjoying the local facilities to the hilt. Only a few states which include Oregon, still consider casino gambling taboo.

Oregon has its own share of casino gambling critics who have gone public with their vehement opposition to official approval for casino gambling proposals such as Measure 75. However, residents appear to be unwilling to buy into the fear these opposing groups are spreading on all possible public platforms and forums.

Corruption is one of the pet themes that these opponents have focused on to thwart the plans of setting up a local casino facility. Another seed of doubt that they are planting in the minds of the local gambling enthusiasts is the possibility of the mandatory investment of $250 not being spent right away.

Oregon gaming analyst, Steve Schwartz, dispels the apprehensions with disdain. He says that any company in its right senses would not delay investment in a casino center for which they have gained the legal rights. On the contrary, Measure 75 is more likely to speed up the investment process, once it gets the necessary approvals in place, in the hope of maximizing the potential profits of the casino.

The voting in question centers on Wood Village and Multnomah Kennel Club. Both the facilities are currently not functioning and their future depends on the approval that the Measure is expected to get. If that happens, then it would be pretty easy to revive both the sites and it would become a potential source to generate more jobs for Oregon residents.

The gambling tax revenue that the state proposes to gather through such approvals is expected to bring in huge revenues, something that the state would very much welcome under the present economic circumstances. The gambling tax revenue has been planned to go towards funding the state’s education plans and for other major development purposes.

The supporters of the cause are stressing on the benefits the opening of local casinos would bring in for the state and its people. The example of other states in the US using tax revenues generated from casinos and gambling sites to finance infrastructure and other areas of development is not lost on the Oregon residents’ and authorities.

By a conservative estimate, over 5,000 new jobs are expected to be created by the opening of casinos and gambling centers in the state. The state expects an annual income of around $ 150 million from tax revenues generated from gambling.

The legislature does not have the powers to create a casino gaming legislation law on its own as there is no provision in the constitution for such measures. The decision rests entirely in the hands of the residents of Oregon who have to exercise their voting rights to give approval to the proposal.