Thread

1. whatever1 · 1789584798 · focus · HN ↗

   All gambling should be state owned. It is a strict societal loss anyway, we can at least soften the overall blow.

   Losses can be redistributed and cover for the externalities of gambling. And we will be able to control the knob on how addictive we make them.

   For profit companies have the target to maximize their profit, so of course they will ramp up any method that can bring in more revenue.

   1. pfisch · 1789587508 · focus · HN ↗

      It should either be illegal or not. This idea that the state has a monopoly on getting money from doing a thing that you are saying is bad doesn't make sense.

      If it is bad and yet the government is allowed to use it to make money then is the government evil? Why does the government get to do it if we can't? It just makes the whole thing seem ridiculous and makes underground betting seem like I guess it isn't really that bad since the government is allowed to do it. The operators are just people fighting for their freedom to operate the same business the government operates.

      1. chunky1994 · 1789588181 · focus · HN ↗

         Because any addictive thing is on a spectrum and you don't want the people with incentives to go all the way up the spectrum to be the operator of the harmful thing, a là the dose makes the poison. (See alcohol, cigarettes, any class of drugs etc.)

         Some things are just wholly harmful where no small amount provides any benefits, some are harmful in large doses, but not so harmful in small doses that they cannot provide other uses.

         Governments (ideally) don't exist to maximize profit so they are (generally) not incentivized to increase the addictions of their populace.

         1. fragmede · 1789588419 · focus · HN ↗

            Which is to say, total prohibition doesn't work, so they need to provide a some release, just not a total free for all.

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