Legalized Gambling - Pros and Cons

In the wake of the hesitancy of the Governor of New Jersey to sign the bill that would legalize Online Gambling in his state, it begs the question as what exactly are the pros and cons associated with legalized gambling. We will attempt to explore why those who are against it are vehement in their stand, and why those who are for it are just as steadfast in their commitment to ensuring it becomes law.

The Wal-Mart Effect

As you may or may not know, Wal-Mart wants to build a store in the New York area. Many local businesses are opposed to this because it would render them obsolete; businesses that have been in existence for a long time serving their communities. This analogy can also be used to describe the feeling of the land-based casinos such as those in Atlantic City and throughout the US who rely heavily on maintaining or increasing their revenue through visitors who frequent their casinos on a daily basis. If legalized gambling online becomes a reality, the land-based casinos will lose a hefty chunk of their life's blood and could potentially close. Thus, those who are against legalized gambling have a pretty good reason to be on the "con" side of this issue. Another reason why most lawmakers are opposed to legalized online gambling is that it would not only tempt minors, but would increase the likelihood of online players to exceed their financial boundaries and become addicted. Again, this is a valid reason, one that Online Casinos have been addressing for years. To sum up the con side, there is deep concern about loss of revenue; attracting minors; and gambling addiction.

A Look at the Pro Side

For those who are for the legalization of online gambling, they have a solid case to be made as well. If Barney Frank's bill becomes law, it would mean an increase in revenue for states that are currently in an economic crisis; it would increase the safety and security of online players due to new and improved online regulations; it would increase safeguards against unlawful conduct among online casinos; and it would require that online casinos acquire licenses to operate legally in the US. For players, the opportunity to play Casino Games online using mobile devices has exploded over the course of the last year. Add to this the fact that the number of US casinos online has increased substantially says a lot about the positive effect online gambling and its benefits offers its players.

Time Will Tell

What was thought to be a slam dunk for online gamblers in New Jersey is now a big question mark. If the bill to legalize gambling falls through, it will have a domino effect on the rest of the states in the US who have been considering this new endeavor. Time will tell if those opposed to the legalization of online gambling will win the day. Barney Frank's bill has not come up for a vote and may not since the Republicans took over the House. So it falls to the Governor of New Jersey. If he fails to sign the bill, this entire pro and con discussion may become moot.