John B. Marek is a writer, farmer, outdoorsman and recovering economic developer. You can find his books at johnbmarek.com.
The Ohio Lottery launched with much fanfare in 1974. I recall my father buying a couple of $1 scratch-off tickets to see what it was all about. The first ticket was a $2 winner, so we were guaranteed to break even. The second ticket was a “free ticket” winner, so Dad was batting a thousand. Alas, the free ticket he collected, along with his $2 winnings, was a loser, and that was effectively the end of the Bennie Marek gambling empire.
I never developed much of a taste for the wager, either. I’ve purchased a handful of lottery tickets over the years and put a few quarters in slot machines during trips to Las Vegas and Gulfport, but gambling isn’t something that interests me all that much. Putting a dollar or two down on a billion-dollar jackpot has always seemed to me the price of being able to contemplate what I’d do with the money: a ticket to dream, per se. Similarly, those quarters in the slot machines are more about the entertainment value than any real thought of winning big.
From that perspective, I’ve always had difficulty understanding what was sinful or immoral about gambling. It’s something my Catholic school upbringing said was wrong but without much explanation as to why. If people get a few minutes of enjoyment from putting a coin in a slot machine, how is that different from the few minutes of joy they get from a pinball machine or an Asteroids game or paying a couple of bucks to bowl a line?
The stock answer, of course, is that gambling can be too tempting for people with a predisposition toward addiction. Okay, I get that, but banks are a strong temptation to people with a predisposition toward robbery, and no one complains when a new bank opens. Basing morality on the addictive nature of the few seems like a strange way to go about things.
Earlier this week, online gambling became legal in North Carolina. Until now, North Carolina residents were restricted to “Daily Fantasy Sports” sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. On these sites, players create virtual teams from real-life athletes and compete against others based on those athletes’ performance in actual games. While this is very closely related to gambling, there is an element of skill and knowledge of the game required, and it is difficult to lose large sums of money because participation is limited to an “entry fee.”
With the legalization of online gambling, sportsbooks are now free to take wagers of essentially any amount on the outcomes of games, as well as a myriad of statistics related to the games. You could, for instance, bet on the Panthers to beat the Saints or on whether Bryce Young will be sacked three times or throw an interception in that game.
The dangers of online gambling stem from availability and anonymity. When gambling is just a click away, the physical act of traveling to a casino is removed from the equation. This constant accessibility can fuel addiction and make it harder to resist the urge to gamble. Additionally, anonymity online can mask the severity of a gambling problem for both the gambler and those around them. Unlike a casino where you might be visibly intoxicated and refused service, online gambling can be done anywhere, anytime, regardless of a person’s state of mind.
Online games can also be fast-paced, with quick wins and losses. This rapid play can make it easier to lose track of time and money. The ease of using credit cards and electronic funds transfers can further obscure the real cost of gambling online. Many online gambling sites also employ features designed to be addictive, like bonuses and free play to hook users and loyalty programs that reward continued play.
Online gambling is a double-edged sword for government institutions. On the one hand, it offers a tempting source of income through taxes collected from online gambling companies. This tax revenue can then be funneled into public projects and services. Additionally, by regulating online gambling, governments can bring a layer of control to the industry, making it safer for those who choose to participate. Imagine this regulation as setting ground rules: ensuring people are old enough to gamble, limiting how much they can wager and providing resources to help people gamble responsibly.
However, the potential for profit and the ability to regulate comes with a risk, one our leaders in Raleigh are apparently willing to take. That’s fine by me, but personally, I’ll pass on online gambling. At least at the casino, you get a free drink.