Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

This was in yesterdays school newspaper at Purdue. I would love to write a responce letter to our newspaper defending my position on online gambing so any thoughts or comments regaurding this article would be helpful.

Online gambling ban saves morals, money

Online gambling can empty a student's wallet just as quickly as it can bulk it up. Our government has fought to ban online gambling, declaring it a threat to public morals. I agree that the idea of allowing citizens to legally bet obscene amounts of money on the internet is detrimental to our country for several reasons.

The United States has been attempting for several years now to ban online gambling. This matter isn't as trivial as it may seem on the surface. According to USA Today, experts estimate that online gambling is a $10 billion a year industry and the outcome of the case could have effects on the global industry.

The World Trade Organization declared last Thursday that the United StatesÕ reasoning behind the ban was acceptable. Antigua, a small nation in the Caribbean who has profited greatly from its growing online gaming industry, has opposed the United States ban. Antigua points out the United States is still allowing its citizens to gamble by visiting domestic casinos or buying lottery tickets. By banning online gambling, they argue, the United States is violating international trade rules. Our government's response has been that internet gaming allows children access to illegal gambling and therefore is different from gambling at casinos or purchasing lottery tickets.

It's certainly a legitimate concern, but it's not necessarily just the children we have to worry about. I know students may feel as though they have the right to spend their money as they choose without government interference, but what about the rampant number of gambling addictions that plague an increasing amount of people each year? Should the government just ignore that? Baylor University professor Earl Grinols, a gambling expert, estimates that society's cost for a single gambling addict is $10,000. Suddenly online gambling doesnÕt seem like harmless fun and it certainly affects more than one individual. Why in the world would we introduce and advocate a more accessible method that allows you to easily gamble thousands of dollars away without leaving your house? Now you can place your bet in your underwear Ð there's no reason to get dressed Ð because you don't even have to leave your house to go to the casino. Just surf the net and youÕre there.

College students are using online betting as a quick fix to pay their rent, grab some extra cash, and have a good time. Who wouldn't want to feel like he or she is in Las Vegas with the click of a button? But this isnÕt as great of an idea as it sounds because just as easily as you can Òwin big, you can Òlose everything. Most students already have thousands of dollars in debt simply from college loans. Why are we choosing to add to our debt on a whim?

Perhaps part of the problem stems from our idea that the internet provides a world of virtual reality Ð a simulation of real life. Online gambling, though it may include flashy computer graphics (as opposed to blinking lights and sounds of slot machines as casinos use) to lure its players in, is not a simulation by any means. It's the real deal.

Fans of online betting might argue that our nation's reasoning behind the ban just isn't rational. I can see their point. There are many "legal" activities that certainly threaten public morale. Internet pornography is a prime example. That industry is booming and yet I don't see government officials trying to ban porn on the Web. Why ban internet gambling?

Well, a bit of justification is that people have taken gambling to extremes and are betting on anything and everything you could possibly imagine. From sports games to guesses about who the next pope might be, citizens are signing on only to sign off on their check for the next astronomical bill they receive the result of excessive online gambling.

Why we would ever want to expose a younger generation to gambling and the problems associated with it is beyond me. Students should be concentrating on earning money from hard work, not from the click of a mouse and a bit of luck. Internet gambling sends the message that earning money is fun and easy you just sign online, cross your fingers, and hope for the best. But life doesn't work that way. Internet gambling isn't setting a good, moral example of how to earn an honest living and I welcome legislation that would regulate it.

Natalie Litera is a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts. She can be reached at [email protected].

http://www.purdueexponent.com/interf...storyid=column

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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This was in yesterdays school newspaper at Purdue. I would love to write a responce letter to our newspaper defending my position on online gambing so any thoughts or comments regaurding this article would be helpful.

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Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Internet gambling isn't setting a good, moral example of how to earn an honest living

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just cause you're going to graduate and have to get a real job, don't hate on the rest of us.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Ok, so I didnt spell check and I was in a hurry when posting this. Any real feedback on this article would be nice...

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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This was in yesterdays school newspaper at Purdue. I would love to write a responce letter to our newspaper defending my position on online gambing so any thoughts or comments regaurding this article would be helpful.

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I'm guessing the OP would have used Word & Spell-checker when writing his letter.

Why are people so anal about spelling?

Here is my guess...

The same type of people that are anal about spelling are typically the same type of people trying to get internet gambling banned.

Was Canada a Red State?

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Internet gambling isn't setting a good, moral example of how to earn an honest living

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just cause you're going to graduate and have to get a real job, don't hate on the rest of us.

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Ah, it's always fun when others try to impose their own morals on others.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Good points in this article. Unfortunately a ban on online gambling isn't practical. Society certainly won't be worse off if poker just vanished altogether, however. In fact, it would be somewhat better off: people could use the wasted time to compose music or write a computer program or ride a bike or whatever. Online poker will go away for reasons other than being legislated out (automated collusion bots) and I doubt it will be missed.

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Yeah, Nuremburg was a gas. (Sorry for the very distasteful implicit joke here.)

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Online poker will go away for reasons other than being legislated out (automated collusion bots) and I doubt it will be missed.

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You have to be joking right??

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

First off, you can cite the studies that have been going on about addiction. How any addiction can not be cured by cutting off the source. Cut off an addicts source, and he will only find another source(ie. B&Ms I guess) The only way to cure addiction is through treatment that the addict seeks himself. The only time an addict will actively seek treatment is when he is faced with an obscene amount of Accumulated Loss.(not just loss of money, but health, family, friends, etc.) It might help to point out that by taking away online gambling, addicts will no longer have the luxary of nickel and diming their way to the poor house, but will be forced to do it a Grand at a time.

The "Younger Generation" being exposed is obsurd. When has it ever been the Governments job to babysit kids. I can already tell the chick writing the article is going to be a "model" parent, most likely already is one.

Hope this helps.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

You might suggest that the the same morals argument can be made about alcohol drinking, parties, sexual contact between students etc. If they pick on gambling as the weak link, the others could be next.

No student body I know of (outside certain religious schools) will want to go down that road.

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Online poker will go away for reasons other than being legislated out (automated collusion bots) and I doubt it will be missed.

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You have to be joking right??

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I'm afraid not, if there is a foreseeable downfall to online gambling this is it. Pro'lly not to far off either.

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I am more serious here than you can possibly imagine.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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You might suggest that the the same morals argument can be made about alcohol drinking, parties, sexual contact between students etc. If they pick on gambling as the weak link, the others could be next.

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My first thought also. Gotta love those liberal arts students, they're so cute when they're naive and idealistic [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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Oh God, think of the children!! College students are not responsible and can't be trusted with their own money!! We need to have morals imposed on our puny brains!!

The only point she makes in defense of internet gambling, that "immoral" internet pornography is allowed so gambling should be allowed as well, is also way off. On another forum I frequent there was a big thread a pornographer started, answering questions about his career and he's convinced that the US porn industry is going to get hit hard any day now.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Online poker will go away for reasons other than being legislated out (automated collusion bots) and I doubt it will be missed.

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You have to be joking right??

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I'm afraid not, if there is a foreseeable downfall to online gambling this is it. Pro'lly not to far off either.

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Maybe this will be online poker's downfall, but I don't see how "collusion bots" are going to stop people from playing online blackjack and betting on sports online.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Why in the world would we introduce and advocate a more accessible method that allows you to easily gamble thousands of dollars away without leaving your house?

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See, this is the problem. People who don't understand that the difference between saying that an activity should not be outlawed and advocating that activity. I don't think the government should be passing laws outlawing people eating at McDonald's. That doesn't mean I advocate going to McDonald's. McDonald's sucks.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Maybe this will be online poker's downfall, but I don't see how "collusion bots" are going to stop people from playing online blackjack and betting on sports online.

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You're right, we're the only one's who are fvck'd.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Who in God's name is losing thousands of dollars gambling online?

And can I add him to my buddylist?

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Who in God's name is losing thousands of dollars gambling online?

And can I add him to my buddylist?

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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"People" Wonderful spin tactics here. Everybody in America can contribute a $1 loss and we as a nation will have lost "thousands of dollars" Obviously the madness must stop.

On an unrelated note, anybody catch the Lotto numbers last night?

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Our government has fought to ban online gambling, declaring it a threat to public morals.

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Since when is the government the guardian of morality? There is nothing in the Constitution that says that this is a function of the government. Legislating morality and having the goverment enforce it is kin to enforcing a state religion, and this is clearly a function that the founders despised.

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I agree that the idea of allowing citizens to legally bet obscene amounts of money on the internet is detrimental to our country for several reasons.

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Which amount is obscene? The $2 I used to post a big blind into my poker game, or the $10 billion in revenue that the US cannot tax because they don't allow online gambling operations within their borders? The writer is coloring the piece with subjective, biased descriptions.

While $100 may be an obscene amount to 'wager' to someone making only $5,000 a year, to someone making $150,000 it may just be an entertainment expense.

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The United States has been attempting for several years now to ban online gambling. This matter isn't as trivial as it may seem on the surface. According to USA Today, experts estimate that online gambling is a $10 billion a year industry and the outcome of the case could have effects on the global industry.

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In other words... it is KILLING the politicians that they can't get any of their hands on this money.

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Our government's response has been that internet gaming allows children access to illegal gambling and therefore is different from gambling at casinos or purchasing lottery tickets.

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Is illegal gambling 'worse' then legal gambling? How are they different? If I play poker in Las Vegas, and it is legal, then why cannot I do it in my private home? And isn't it up to the parents to regulate their children's exposure? I'm much more concerned with my children's exposure to hard-core pornography on the internet then I am worried that they are going to find an online casino, download a client, deposit money and accidentally wager some money on roulette.

Online gambling is too complicated to be a legitimate, serious threat to accidental exposure by children. And in the cases where parents have already downloaded, and gamble online there obviously needs to be discussion with the children involved about what it is, that it is 'real' money, and the computer secured so they can't accidentally access it. User name and passwords are inherently parts of online gambling.

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I know students may feel as though they have the right to spend their money as they choose without government interference, but

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'but I think they shouldn't.' is how this sentence should end.

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what about the rampant number of gambling addictions that plague an increasing amount of people each year? Should the government just ignore that? Baylor University professor Earl Grinols, a gambling expert, estimates that society's cost for a single gambling addict is $10,000.

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Was this a particular study concerning online gamblers? Or just gamblers in general? The information is to vague to mean anything in this context.


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Why in the world would we introduce and advocate a more accessible method that allows you to easily gamble thousands of dollars away without leaving your house?

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Market economies are a bitch, aren't they? Actually providing services that consumers want to use, instead of tight, government regulation intended to protect the stupid masses from their stupid selves.

What about the people that gamble INTO thousands of dollars (instead of away) while sitting in their underwear at home? Why do you want to take away a means that, by their skills and dedication, they can make this money? Or is the glass just always half empty?


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College students are using online betting as a quick fix to pay their rent, grab some extra cash, and have a good time.

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Wait, this is against everything you just said... people who gamble online always lose, don't they? How can they grab extra cash if they're gambling away thousands of dollars?


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Most students already have thousands of dollars in debt simply from college loans. Why are we choosing to add to our debt on a whim?

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Anyone who uses borrowed money to gambling has a problem, and needs to have it addressed.


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Well, a bit of justification is that people have taken gambling to extremes and are betting on anything and everything you could possibly imagine.

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People aren't taking internet porn to extremes? You wouldn't believe what you can find out there. This comparison isn't valid. And you continue assuming everyone who gambles online is signing away their checks to feed the monster. How many billions of dollars per year are spent on porn site fees?

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Students should be concentrating on earning money from hard work, not from the click of a mouse and a bit of luck. Internet gambling sends the message that earning money is fun and easy you just sign online, cross your fingers, and hope for the best. But life doesn't work that way.

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Online gambling doesn't work that way, either. If you spent some time investigating both sides of the story, perhaps you would see that winning players spend a lot of time, effort, and study to improve their game and make sure they become winning players.

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Internet gambling isn't setting a good, moral example of how to earn an honest living and I welcome legislation that would regulate it.

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It sounds like you want to return to purtanism, and letting the government define morality. I say no to this, thank you very much. The United States was founded and particularly designed to escape this type of government. We fight against tyrannical theocracies, like the Taliban. Americans fight and die for freedom, not the enforcement of proper and good morality.

KO

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

" I would love to write a responce letter to our newspaper "

Better learn to speeel first.^^^ You in college? WTF????????

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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You might suggest that the the same morals argument can be made about alcohol drinking, parties, sexual contact between students etc. If they pick on gambling as the weak link, the others could be next.

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that's why you shouldn't give an inch to fanatics [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

"Online gambling can empty a student's wallet just as quickly as it can bulk it up. Our government has fought to ban online gambling, declaring it a threat to public morals. I agree that the idea of allowing citizens to legally bet obscene amounts of money on the internet is detrimental to our country for several reasons."

I read no more then this...

Last I understood the US of A it was NOT MOTHER AMERICA. (I wonder how many students today understand that comment.) It is not the job of the government to protect the people from themselves.

This is typical leftist bull.

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I am more serious here than you can possibly imagine.

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I'm pretty sure he can imagine it.

You're wrong.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

The Republicans want to ban the sex, the Democrats want to ban the violence.

Pretty much both dislike gambling.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

This is typical leftist bull.

So deciding what is and is not "moral" and imposing those values on others is leftist now?

Like all those leftists who disapprove of homosexuality and single mothers and abortion. Those leftist bastards.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Natalie is a [censored]...

I say you wine & dine her, [censored] her in the ass, spluge on her face, take a picture of it and hand out copies at the union.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

heres an angle to come from perhaps.

draw an analogy to the prohibision (i know i cant spell, dont point it out) of alcohol.

##note, im not american, so do some research, but heres my understanding##

people drunk for centuries. then to 'save' people, it was banned. [censored] alcohol was made than made people blind. mafia style mobs made obscene amounts of money. governemnt saw the error of its ways. legalised alcohol and then taxed it heavily.

currently online gambling is in the mafia getting rich bit. legalising it will allow the major operators to operate in the US. they will do this cos the people would prefer that company rather than some faceless offshore company.

people get to gamble, governemnt gets a cut of $10B and everyone is happy.

-----

or you could just call her an ignorant bitch and tell her to go do some [censored] research before writing an article for a paper.

whatever you feel is more appropriate.

Phill

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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Baylor University professor Earl Grinols, a gambling expert

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My favorite part.
Is he the same type of gambling 'expert' who has claimed that online-poker can't be beat because there are too many robots playing in the games with the humans.
All players who think they are just playing against 'real people' are kidding themselves according to some of these gambling 'experts'.



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estimates that society's cost for a single gambling addict is $10,000.

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Where the hell did this 'estimate' come from?

What addicts are we talking about here?


Anyone else think this 'expert' just made this up?



In other news....I just saw on the news that the Tenn Lottery is proud to announce a 'new, exciting cash-4 game' that you can play online.
Tickets cost $0.50 to $1 but you can buy as many as you want...and you can play it online.
"Good luck!!" said the cheerful news-anchor.



Every time the Tenn Lottery adds a new game (which all seem to be to be exactly the same as all of the other games) it gets reported on the local TV news like it's some sort of big event.


I have yet to see any stories coinciding with it regarding those who are spending too much freaking money on these really bad games.

I also have yet to see any stories regarding the hypocricy of funding our school system and scholarship programs via low-income earning gambling-addicts.


It's one thing for the news to report the daily lottery numbers. People do play and are curious to know if they won so this is acceptable I suppose.

But for all of the local TV news channels to actively promote one specific gambling within the context of their news-cast is extremely troubling.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Hey,

I dont think we should be forcing morals down peoples throats. It is just stupid. When we ban gambling, then insurance companies are [censored]. They are online gambling too. They take money and payoff on chance. They have a nice HA. The stock market is like that too. There are chances of different future values....Etrade is screwed. The difference between investing, insuring, poker, blackjack, and other chance games is very small. All use business, finance, math, and stats to profit or lose.


SFWUSC

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

This is typical leftist bull.

So deciding what is and is not "moral" and imposing those values on others is leftist now?

Like all those leftists who disapprove of homosexuality and single mothers and abortion. Those leftist bastards.>>>>>>>>>>& gt;>


Well... I dont know if abortion is really a moral issue,,,but i agree with the rest. It is really a question of whether that fetus is human or not. Which seems to be up to debate.

The rest is someone telling you what they think is wrong. If you arent hurting someone in some way then it is none of people's business.

This does seem to be were the right is wrong. I am to the right fiscal, but I guess I am social left (save two which I dont consider moral issues).

SFWUSC

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Government run games with payouts of 70% = GOOD MORAL VALUE

Anyone else game with a 98% payout= BAD MORAL VALUE

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Insurance is thought to be moral as well.

What is the HA on Life Insurance, Car Insurance and so on?

I think it is up there around 30% too.

stupid gamblers...they should buy insurance for fun----that will cost them more...yet be moral.

SFWUSC

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

Dude, she's in liberal arts. You're going to have to draw some pictures and stuff.

Re: Online gambling ban saves morals, money
 

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This is typical leftist bull.

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It's actually a curious combination of the worst aspects of both the right and left.

She wants to legislate morality (which is a right-issue) and yet is anti-capitalist (which is a left-issue). That the answer is in legislation and more laws is a left-issue, whereas what she wants to control is morality, a right issue.

She's just a confused young'un who sees something that SHE thinks must be a bad thing, for whatever reason (probably anecdotal evidence she's heard about her friends going broke or something), and doesn't think through the actual ramifications of what she's saying.

KO

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So should the gov. open a chain of federal card rooms with a 30% rake?

WiteKnite

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Who in God's name is losing thousands of dollars gambling online?

And can I add him to my buddylist?

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I'm not giving up the better part of my buddy list. But I am fairly sure that the biggest fish on my list lose about half a grand per week at the Party 3/6 games.

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Having sex will cost your maybe 100K a head so we should ban that? God drinking will shorten your life. Religious puritans want to ban everything but taxes and working........... [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

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This is typical leftist bull.

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Dear Moron,

Are you really this stupid?

Signed,
Everyone