Photo : James Larie

To ban, or not to ban – the gambling debate

The government makes a killing, but is it right?

By Jonathan Ryan

I don’t gamble. I think it’s a big waste of money, especially when there are so many other ways to get a thrill (legal and otherwise).
It’s no secret that, like everywhere else, Newfoundland and Labrador has had its problems with addiction. Historically it has been alcohol; maybe because of its hereditary nature, it has touched the lives of people from this province.

Now drug addiction (both illicit and prescription), and other behavioral addictions have become nearly as prevalent as our old demon. Not the least of these is gambling.
Gambling can be a particularly virulent addiction: For one, it’s financially devastating. A drug addict, no matter how depraved, can only force so much of any particular substance into their bodies in the run of a day. Not so with gamblers.

People with gambling addictions have little concern for financial costs while chasing their high. They often spend exorbitant amounts of money well beyond that of the wildest dreams of the average drug addict.
There’s also the component of denial, which takes on a slightly different color in the mind of the gambling addict. Your run of the mill drug addict denies the existence of their problem. For a gambling addict, on the other hand, the problem is losing.
Many continue to gamble away their last penny hoping that they’re one hand, roll, or spin away from the jackpot.

There have been many extreme reactions to the issue of gambling in the past. One that comes to mind was the case of a man in central Newfoundland a couple years ago who. He reportedly gambled away his settlement from the Mount Cashel Orphanage scandal, and took a baseball bat to a number of video lottery terminals (VLTs).

More recently, we have the case of a western Newfoundland man who is trying to have VLTs banned after the 2003 suicide of his daughter who, he believes, decided to end her life after running up over $100,000 in gambling debts.
VLTs, aside from the lottery and bingo, are the only forms of legalized gambling in Newfoundland. They put over $65-million into provincial coffers each year, which ironically is used for social programs.

Also, they ensure the very survival of many smaller pubs (and to a lesser extent restaurants), many of which would not even make enough money to pay rent without the revenue they generate. A few years ago, the government did tighten up regulations on these machines, shortening their hours of operation and the maximum amount that could be wagered at once. But should they be banned?

There are arguments for both sides, although the pro-ban side sadly often resorts to Christian moral arguments, which tend to make me roll my eyes and want to disagree as a sort of knee-jerk reaction. The anti-banners make the argument that VLTs provide revenue to the provincial government for social programs that would be unobtainable otherwise.
Some banners say that they would gladly pay higher taxes to have these immoral devil computers removed from existence forever. After all, we’re just talking about a few dollars per person in the province (it’s actually over $200 per taxpayer, maybe more).
Anti-banners will then say that many businesses would fail without VLT revenue (an argument I’m not particularly sympathetic to), while banners say that if they can’t stay open legitimately then maybe they should fail.

After all, they weren’t establishments that were opened and then licensed with the intent of being gaming businesses. Ultimately, I feel that VLTs should be phased out, and all the money going to social programs could be collected in other ways.
As for the argument about the viability of businesses without VLTs, these businesses are on government-sponsored life support. I can think of no reason why a business that survives only on VLT revenue is a healthy, viable, intelligent business.

Sink or swim is the capitalist mantra, remember? A gradual phasing-out would allow the businesses that should survive adjust to life without free VLT money. But all of these arguments are just secondary and reactionary to my core problem with VLTs. Individual freedom in this country is not something I’m willing to give up without a long bloody fight that would almost certainly result in my death.
You should be able to do anything you want, as long as you’re not harming another person without their sound-minded consent. I’ll stand by that statement, and I’m not easily frightened. Freedom is for the brave and fortune favors the bold. If you want to gamble, then by all means, deal the cards.

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