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Poker and all other forms of gambling should be banned

Hundreds and thousandsd of lives are destroyed by the gambling industry and I belive that such a base and immoral industry should be banned.

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Reply 1

username33685

Why does everybody seem to hate freedom today? Ban this, ban that, blah blah.

If people want to gamble, thats their own choice, no one is forcing them to do it. if they suck at it and lose lots of money, thats their own fault. All the state should do is make sure the gambling companies aren't tricking or deceiving their customers.

Reply 2

Rubix

What about alcohol or cigarettes or junk food or sex before marriage? should they all be banned too?

And how do you propose to enforce the ban poker?

Reply 3

Willis123

Rubix

What about alcohol or cigarettes or junk food or sex before marriage? should they all be banned too?

And how do you propose to enforce ban poker?

What about maraijuana, what about crack cocain, what about... o wait.... they are banned. And i think we could look to china on ways to probit the use of certain websites.

Reply 4

pinkpont

Why don't we ban people getting on their high horses?

Reply 5

Willis123

rich2606

What about when a persons free choice impede on the lifes of others? your not allowed to smoke in public places, why should others get lung cancer for your choices? Ban gambling not because it harms you but becasue it harms those around you.

Reply 6

L i b

rich2606

Why does everybody seem to hate freedom today? Ban this, ban that, blah blah.

Quite.

The insidiousness of this concept of 'banning' things contributes. The word itself to me harks back to primary school days when we were 'banned' from the part of the grounds beside the woods on wet days to stop us getting muddy.

However in the real world, you cannot 'ban' something. You can criminalise it: which involves (and people ought to remember this) that disobedience involves recording someone as a criminal, perhaps for life, and ultimately dragging another human being against his will into a prison with the scum of the earth and not letting him leave. Violence, in other words.

Reply 7

rockrunride

I agree, OP, it leads people into false dreams, and they get addicted. I know someone who can't get off the fruit machines, for example. He loses between £10-15 each time. Not much, but he's still losing.

The thing is though, there's no way of enforcing a ban on gambling. Sure, you can take away fruit machines and get rid of the National Lottery, but you can't stop people playing at home. People should be free to gamble if they want IMO. It's impossible to generalise everybody who gambles into one group.

Reply 8

L i b

Willis123

What about when a persons free choice impede on the lifes of others? your not allowed to smoke in public places, why should others get lung cancer for your choices?

They can't - only by their own choice, ie going into a private place where smoking is allowed. Which is why I strongly oppose the smoking ban.

Ban gambling not because it harms you but becasue it harms those around you.

But it doesn't. Unless you start stealing from others to fund a gambling addiction or something - and in case you've not noticed, that's already a crime.

Reply 9

Willis123

rockrunride

Easy how do you ban drug use? By banning the supply of drugs. No shops will have fruit machines, sure people will still gamble in homes but on aggregate it will dramitcally fall.

Reply 10

Democracy

L i b

But it doesn't. Unless you start stealing from others to fund a gambling addiction or something - and in case you've not noticed, that's already a crime.

So gambling addicts who bet away their salaries whilst their spouse and children live a sub standard life don't harm anoyone?

Reply 11

Rubix

You cannot ban gambling, you can only create a black market. Either way, gambling will still occur.

Reply 12

Teofilo

The OP must be a troll.

Absolutely pathetic.

Reply 13

Teofilo

Democracy

So gambling addicts who bet away their salaries whilst their spouse and children live a sub standard life don't harm anoyone?

How is that in any way different than the father who spends all of his (and his family's money) on booze etc?

I don't hear you calling for alcohol to be outlawed. Or are you?

Reply 14

AWZC

To ban gambling would go against the principles of a government like ours - effectively controlling what we do with our money (that is after lots of it go's to them for tax...). It would truly be a shocking sign of where we are heading, into a nanny state where everything we do is regulated and controlled. What happened to freedom?

Reply 15

Democracy

Teofilo

How is that in any way different than the father who spends all of his (and his family's money) on booze etc?

I don't hear you calling for alcohol to be outlawed. Or are you?

I was simply pointing out that L i b saying gambling doesn't harm anyone, unless you're stealing is a little naive and simplistic.

Reply 16

Lisa.22

Rubix

You cannot ban gambling, you can only create a black market. Either way, gambling will still occur.

exactly what i was going to say :o:

Reply 17

Willis123

Teofilo

How is that in any way different than the father who spends all of his (and his family's money) on booze etc?

I don't hear you calling for alcohol to be outlawed. Or are you?

I also belive that alcohol should be banned. Slavery wasnt banned until the 19th century does that mean that slavery was morally acceptable until the government outlawed it?

Reply 18

rockrunride

IMO it's all about individual responsiblity. I totally agree with the slogan Gambling Should Be Fun. I'm not going to sit here like a bigot and say "if someone gambles all their money away they deserve to live in poverty" because that's ridiculous. I think more awareness campaigns need to go into it, encouraging people to stop when they've lost too much.

Reply 19

Teofilo

Democracy

I was simply pointing out that L i b saying gambling doesn't harm anyone, unless you're stealing is a little naive and simplistic.

Fair enough, but a lot of things harm people (and those around them) if abused- cars, credit cards etc.

It's my view that just because a minority of people can't handle responsibility and moderation, that the majority should suffer.

That doesn't mean that the minority should not seek/be given help BTW, nor does it mean that sensible regulations should be put in place.