Most of us probably agree that gambling won't exist under socialism (certainly not under any definition that abolishes money). But what stance should socialists have towards gambling laws in the present capitalist reality? Should casinos be allowed to operate? Racetracks? How about state lotteries that fund education and the like? If gambling laws came to debate in your state/country, what stance would you take?
For the poll, you can factor out special cases like Indian casinos.
Why no gambling under socialism? I can gamble anything else fam.
Outlaw them, or only have them in certain areas and away from everything else in designated zones. I'm not even that radical, I just really don't like them. Same for golf courses.
I can't tell if gambling would still exist in a full socialist/communist society. But I can advocate for it to be regulated in the strictest terms.
In Wopistan, based Giggino Di Maio is pushing a decree that, among other things, puts a ban on advertising related to gambling. That was something I tought about in the past and I think it's pretty cool. Trying to ban it outright wouldn't work and btw here in Yooropa you can't do that because
Woop here. You are half right. Gambling in Vegas and Europe is different. Slot machines should be absolutely banned or at least restricted, those fuckers are everywhere. USA had them only in casinos. That said USA also has some neat card tables, which we don't have. So it's a different situation. Putting your money in a slot while drinking espresso before going to work is different than playing an all night long poker
Gambling has actually spread through more of the USA. I hear Atlantic City has declined a lot because of gambling being legalized in northeastern states. Because of the Puritanism thing, it tends to be legal in more liberal states.
It's a big topic in my state, Kentucky. The only forms of gambling here are the lottery, bingo, small fundraising events, and most importantly, horse racing. While casinos are illegal, some racetracks have found loopholes that have basically let them become casinos as well. I don't really like gambling because I think it preys on the poor, but I kind of tolerate where it sustains horseracing, which is important to local culture.
I don't mind them where I am, but I went out west recently and jesus christ is it obscene to waste that much water in the same country as Flint.
Is it your problem with how stupid people spend their money?
It affects the poor because the poor are overwhelmingly low Autism Level and make poor decisions. Update your peripherals.
it was incredibly sad to watch. I still think about it frequently.
this pretty much
My stance on gambling is mixed, so let me lay down how the gambling landscape in the Australian state of Queensland where I live in looks like.
Poker machines (known to you seppos and poms as 'slots' or 'fruit machines') are in almost every licenced pub, tavern and sporting club in the state and not just casinos. Pokies are so widespread and lucrative not just in Queensland but New South Wales that the likes of Konami expanded their casino gaming operations down under a long time ago and you'll see them as a major sponsor of quite a few lawn bowls clubs (which also happen to have a stockpile of Konami pokies.)
These same premises also have bookmaking facilities to place bets mainly on horse racing, greyhound racing and rugby league, as well as televised Keno games which you can play from your table.
Online betting has become very popular the last few years since the beginning of online betting advertising in televised sport coverage and came to the point where these online bookmaking companies would have a selected staff member integrated into the sport commentary coverage, which created a lot of controversy and there is currently momentum to have online betting companies banned from all sports advertising, which the major footy codes began to rely upon as a major source of funding a few years ago and are trying to fight such moves.
Lotto is popular and highly regulated, which along with scratch-it cards are only allowed to be sold at licenced newsagents.
To where I stand on gambling, while I think a wholesale ban across not just the entire state but the entire country is a bit extreme given that placing bets on sports is an Australian past-time and long part of the culture, it's gone way too far since the end of the Cold War. Pokies in my state only began to be widespread in 1991 and local sporting clubs have over time become too over-reliant on the revenue generated from them, on-top of funding handed out by the state government derived from taxes and other fees on gambling activities.
Pokies are designed to stimulate the same reward receptors in the brain as drugs like cocaine, and thus have the ability to wreak havoc in people's lives, and gambling addiction via pokies is a major social problem here, especially in the state of Tasmania where there is grassroots momentum to remove all pokies from clubs and pubs across that state the problem is so bad.
I'd like to see pokies removed entirely from all licenced premises across my state given the damage they cause, whether to replace them with less addictive forms of gambling or have none at all I'm not sure of just yet. I'd also shut down the casinos in Townsville, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Greyhound racing should be banned entirely. There was a major national controversy a couple of years ago where the national state-owned broadcaster aired an investigative piece that uncovered racing greyhounds being locked up in very small cages for extended periods of time and treated horribly by their owners, then trained on private racing tracks using live bait (piglets and rabbits mainly), and when they're unable to race any longer they were killed and buried in mass graves. The problem was so systemic across the industry that entire regulatory boards across the states and territories were fired and trainers banned for life, on top of facing criminal charges.
Horse racing should remain along with lotto and scratch-it cards, however all sport betting advertising of any kind should be banned and online betting facing further regulation and an ISP level website filtering scheme blocking access to all foreign online betting websites, and use of a VPN or TOR to engage in such activities on foreign websites deemed a criminal offence.
Loot boxes should be prohibited as well, every government should crack down on them. It'a merely a case of video game publishers being greedy pricks.
I don't see the issue with betting on say, a game which is the bare minumuim of gambling, I don't like big casino's and stuff with the likes, but for example betting on football games is quite a common thing for the working class here.
Because it produces nothing, it's like stock exchange.
Also in a socialist society without money but with labour vouchers you won't be able to gamble simply because you can only earn vouchers through labour.
It's a recreational activity for fuck sake.
It's pretty autistic though
Can't you like find a different hobby?
Yes but playing cards isn't that autistic. Slot machine are trash, but there are better way of gambling. I mean it also help with your involvement in sports.
The problem is not the game itself, the problem is that you make a profit through a game and not through labour.
In a socialist society you can play cards, slot machines, etc. if you want but without money or fake "money" for fun (like tokens) because generating profits especially without labour is pure capitalism, it's really the same thing as stock exchange.
I guess alcoholism, poverty and racism are fine too because those are quite commons things for the working class.
There is nothing wrong with gambling as long as you don't spend money you need to survive. I unironically enjoy getting drunk with friend and playing slot machines. I never lost more than 10 eur in one sitting and have fun even if I lose. I think I might even increase my limit for gambling in the near future.
I am a gambler too and I think there is nothing wrong with it. That said I play cards, slots are fucking cancer. There is much less of chance of you getting railed at poker than slots. There is ability in poker while slots are just luck.
Gambling is always in favour of the gambling establishment, it should be illegal. Lotteries are even worse, they perpetuate the idea that anyone can make it.
Gambling is in most cases effectively a poor/stupid-tax so it should be regulated to avoid this. But there's nothing wrong with people socializing by playing games with stakes.
Gambling under socialism would be very limited, although I would allow lotteries for scarce goods. Say there's a nice sea-side lot for someone to live in. We'd organize a lottery among those interested and the winner would get the house. Same with vacations to otherwise overcrowded spots and such.
Under capitalism the gambling industry is absolutely disgusting. The idea is to exploit people's tendency to get addicted and suck all of their money from them, ruining their lives. It should be banned immediately.