Is the Government Addicted to Gambling Revenues?Who's Regulating the Regulators?

[Machjo]

To the best of my knowledge the Government doesn't OWN any casinos in British Columbia. The four casinos in this area are owned by a Corporation, controlled by the Gov't and taxed and the proceeds going for good causes like health and sports activities for youth.

Lake City Casino Kelowna Owner

What about Lotto 6/49? If I'm not mistaken, it is government owned, no?

 

[Cannuck]

The charities would get the funds either from donations, user fees, or both, just as the government gets it from taxpayers, who incidentally are the same people for the most part, except that this way those who use it most are likely to pay more for it.

Well you answered the first question but not the second.

Incidentally, gaming revenue is donated money as everybody has the choice to gamble or not to gamble.

 

[Machjo]

Well you answered the first question but not the second.

Incidentally, gaming revenue is donated money as everybody has the choice to gamble or not to gamble.

But for addicts, it's a distorted choice. But at least the casinos are privately-owned and discouraged via taxation and such. Maybe we should do the same with Lotto 6/49.

 

[Cannuck]

But for addicts, it's a distorted choice.

It's still a choice.

 

[Machjo]

It's still a choice.

But you'd think the government of all institutions would not exploit their addiction. I guess that depends on one's view of the role of government in society.

 

[L Gilbert]

Well, for one thing, I sure don't like gov'ts that nanny. I don't even like gov'ts that think they know what I need more than I do.

 

[Cannuck]

But you'd think the government of all institutions would not exploit their addiction. I guess that depends on one's view of the role of government in society.

We've been collecting sin taxes for quite some time. Are you suggesting we get rid of those? We should just drop the tax on booze just because some folks are alcoholics? I know a guy that is addicted to cars. He has six and likes to cruise. I guess we should stop taxing gas to help the poor bugger. I personally can't make it through the week without water. I've been hooked on the stuff for years. I guess I shouldn't have to pay my utility bill. I'm also a golf addict. I guess I should be allowed to write off my golfing expenses.

 

[Machjo]

We've been collecting sin taxes for quite some time. Are you suggesting we get rid of those? We should just drop the tax on booze just because some folks are alcoholics? I know a guy that is addicted to cars. He has six and likes to cruise. I guess we should stop taxing gas to help the poor bugger. I personally can't make it through the week without water. I've been hooked on the stuff for years. I guess I shouldn't have to pay my utility bill. I'm also a golf addict. I guess I should be allowed to write off my golfing expenses.

We don't own Labatts or any cigarette company. We tax them to discourage it. As for Lotto649, we own it and so in a sence are providing it.

 

[Cannuck]

We don't own Labatts or any cigarette company. We tax them to discourage it. As for Lotto649, we own it and so in a sence are providing it.

Hair splitting at it's finest.

 

[Ron in Regina]

We don't own Labatts or any cigarette company. We tax them to discourage it. As for Lotto649, we own it and so in a sence are providing it.

If Gov't "really" wanted to discourage booze & smoke consumtion...it
would be banned, not taxed. We don't own Labatts or any cigarette
company but who profits more directly from the sale of a case of beer
or a pack of smokes? The Government through taxation or the
manufacturer?

Yes, arguements can be made that the taxation is to offset future costs
regarding healthcare, etc...but it's really just a another form of income
like Lotto649 or casinos, etc...isn't it?

 

[GreenFish66]

There were privately owned horse tracks in Ontario once upon a time ...Apparently they weren't profitable and were closed down...

I wonder what the government would do if they realized Casinos were no longer profitable to them?

Would they close them down?..Sell them off?..Or ..Would they pull the shades down, do some shady financial suffling, stack the deck; load the dice ; lower payouts; anything they had to ; to ensure the jackpot winnings kept flowing in, continuing to feed their addiction to this relied upon revenue stream....No matter what the cost ?

It's hard to Realize/ Admit that you are addicted ..when you are addicted...Even Harder to Admit your Addicted and Wrong; when you are the government ...

Government should Fund/Reward/Promote....Healthy/Productive/Needed/Necessary/Sustainable/ Programs and Lifestyle Choices..( ) ; Because , It is in the best interest of the Government, The Country, and its People ...

Unhealthy/Wanted/ Adult Entertainment/Guilty Pleasures(?), should be left for Business to profit from ...Regulated and Taxed appropriately by Government for/with the people .

If the Business is not Viable/Profitable ...It will fail and change( with transparent Governmental oversight)
..Or
It will fail; and close..

------- Gaming/Gambling is no fun, for anyone, when run, strictly, by Big Gov.---------

 

[GreenFish66]

Is the government exploiting the addiction of others for Self Interest/Personal Profit?
Aren't they elected to Serve N' Protect the people ?

Justice Minister to the Canadian Club of Toronto on Crime Bill ...Canadian Club, January 13 2012 - 15 min 35 sec.. ( whole speech is worth listening to)

Justice Minister - "......The kinds of offenders that we are targeting are the ones who are in the business of exploiting the addiction of others for personal profit..".

....Admittedly I took the ministers comment slightly out of context( was watching video for many reasons); BUT, To serve and Protect the people is part of what governments should do..

Brought the question to mind ....Are Gambling Govs exploiting the addictions of others for their own self interest/personal profits?..More specifically when it comes to revenues gained by Gaming? ..

Is it time Government sells off Gaming industry to independent Business; so they can be more transparent and accountable to the People they are elected to serve; protect/detour/guide them from harmful practises toward healthier more sustainable ones ?

Global Toronto | Government to sell off LCBO real estate in Toronto, says Duncan -

" Under review by the government is an annual subsidy of $345 million for horse racing. The money comes from OLG slots and is often used to sweeten the purse for races. A ministry spokesperson says most of that money ends up leaving the province anyway, so the government is considering chopping it in the budget this March " ​

-- Is a good start ​

____________________________​

http://www.canadianclub.org/Home.aspx​

 

[Bar Sinister]

For those who don't remember or are not old enough to know bout Canada's pre-legalized gambling days here is a little heads up.

First, the fact that legalized gambling in the form of casinos and government lotteries did not exist does not mean that there was no gambling. A great deal of gambling occurred out of sight of the regulators and went untaxed. A great deal more occurred in the form of betting on horses and buying various lottery tickets from recognized charities. And then there were the frequent flyers who headed off to Las Vegas and Atlantic City to give away their cash to foreigners. Still another gambling drain was the purchasing of Irish Sweepstake tickets, which were sold coast to coast. The Irish quite enjoyed the influx of Canadian dollars each year, but I don't remember any benefits for Canada.

Gambling has always been a social ill, but preventing it may be impossible. The best that can probably be hoped for is to direct some of the proceeds from gambling into government coffers where it can be used to provide government services.

 

[GreenFish66]

I don't disagree with your comment Bar Sinister...Yet Gaming should be privatized; left for business to run.....Not run by Governments - Too great a chance for corruption .

Running Business Wants...Is not the Job of government...Governments job is to regulate/serve/protect/work with/for the people, on their behalf..Hard to do when your addicted to (declining) gambling revenues.

Unhealthy/Wanted/ Adult Entertainment/Guilty Pleasures/ potentially addictive activities(?), should be left for Business to profit from ...Regulated and Taxed appropriately by Government for/with the people .

Government should Fund/Reward/Promote....Healthy/Productive/Needed/Necessary/Sustainable/ Programs and Lifestyle Choices ; Because , It is in the best interest of the Government, The Country, and its People ...

Government should not be in the Gambling Business...because

------- Gaming/Gambling is no fun, for anyone, when run, strictly, by Big Gov.---------

 

[JLM]

Is there a difference between "being run by Government" and "being regulated by Government"?

 

[Bar Sinister]

I don't disagree with your comment Bar Sinister...Yet Gaming should be privatized; left for business to run.....Not run by Governments - Too great a chance for corruption .

Running Business Wants...Is not the Job of government...Governments job is to regulate/serve/protect/work with/for the people, on their behalf..Hard to do when your addicted to (declining) gambling revenues.

Unhealthy/Wanted/ Adult Entertainment/Guilty Pleasures/ potentially addictive activities(?), should be left for Business to profit from ...Regulated and Taxed appropriately by Government for/with the people .

Government should Fund/Reward/Promote....Healthy/Productive/Needed/Necessary/Sustainable/ Programs and Lifestyle Choices ; Because , It is in the best interest of the Government, The Country, and its People ...

Government should not be in the Gambling Business...because

------- Gaming/Gambling is no fun, for anyone, when run, strictly, by Big Gov.---------

I am well aware of the evils of gambling, but I see no advantages in letting private businesses profit from that vice. The mere fact that gambling is an evil is a very strong argument in allowing government to be in charge of the business. If it is going to ruin people's lives then there should at least be some benefits for society. Any study of the privately run casinos in the US shows that there is no real advantage to having gambling in private hands.

 

[JLM]

I am well aware of the evils of gambling, but I see no advantages in letting private businesses profit from that vice. The mere fact that gambling is an evil is a very strong argument in allowing government to be in charge of the business. If it is going to ruin people's lives then there should at least be some benefits for society. Any study of the privately run casinos in the US shows that there is no real advantage to having gambling in private hands.

I doubt if there is any sport or passtime that hasn't ruined someone's life. Gambling is good fun as long as it's done for fun, if it's done to try to get rich, the participater is an idiot! :smile:

 

[GreenFish66]

It's about time O.L.G cut out all the Horse Pucky

It's about time the O.L.G restructured it's gaming industry..Time to cut out all the Horse Pucky. The horse tracks have been riding on the backs of senior slot players for far too long..It's become a lose/lose for everyone..If the Biz is failing..Restructuring only makes good Biz sense..Slot players are tired of losing their money and winnings to a losing industry...

O.L.G/Liberals are on the right track..On this one...Been a long time coming..

 

[Omicron]

[...] Gaming should be privatized; left for business to run.....Not run by Governments - Too great a chance for corruption .

You've got to be joking. "Too great a chance for corruption"?

Under government, if it's a democracy, you can have oversight, to make sure it's not corrupt, whereas under business, they can operate without oversight from anyone except shareholders, so what if all the shareholders are mobsters?

Running Business Wants...Is not the Job of government...Governments job is to regulate/serve/protect/work with/for the people, on their behalf...

I agree... and I think it's more to my benefit as a citizen to have my gambling losses plowed back into the provincial economy for there to be a chance for me to make it back instead of the losses flying off to a Carribean island.

Hard to do when your addicted to (declining) gambling revenues.

Ahh... so you think government should tax other areas of the economy as if it was getting no gambling revenue, just in case people stop gambling.

I can see that. Tax as if no revenue is coming from gambling, tobacco and booze just in case people stop gambling, smoking and drinking, such that revenue from GTB can be treated like a bonus, and applied against things like government debt. If they brought pot under that umbrella, government debts could be brought down in no time.

Unhealthy/Wanted/ Adult Entertainment/Guilty Pleasures/ potentially addictive activities(?), should be left for Business to profit from

Why?!? So that business can make profits while citizens pay the cost of the social collateral damage like health care for smokers and welfare for gambling addicts?

If gambling was taxed at a rate sufficient to pay the cost of handling gambling addicts (like they're trying to tax tobacco at a rate sufficient to pay the health-care costs of smokers) then the casinos would make no profit, in which case they (being "business") would have no incentive to operate, in which case government would have to run casinos as a social-service to people who want to gamble.
.

Government should not be in the Gambling Business...because

------- Gaming/Gambling is no fun, for anyone, when run, strictly, by Big Gov.---------

Why?!?

Do roulette tables emit a mysterious, unplesant vibe when owned by government?

 

[GreenFish66]

Time to Cut out the On Slot of Horse Pucky!

Relying on Gamblers to continuosly fund a losing Horse industry, is a LOSE/LOSE for EVERYONE.
Horse industry has been getting a free ride off the backs of the misfortunate for far too long .
Time to cut out the on slot of Horse Pucky.
Better to deal with the fallout now, than later...

Restructuring is necessary..



________________________________

Omicron ....Government should not run biz ...That's the job of Biz..Govs job is to regulate on behalf of its citizens...