A gamble not worth taking

At the risk of stating the obvious, it is apparent that Indiana is facing a severe cash crunch. Projections from government agencies predict that the state will experience a $231 million shortfall this year alone. So, when the legislature looked to bulk up revenues, it left the usual suspects untouched. Instead, the legislature hit upon an incongruous idea, one that is at odds with the professed values of legislators. Thanks to House Bill 1153, currently under consideration in the Senate, more than 7,000 bars, taverns and restaurants in the state will likely soon be able to offer pull tabs and other forms of low-stakes gambling. Independent agencies have estimated that as a result of this legislation, the state can raise anywhere from $5 million to $25 million. \nThe bill is creating a great deal of controversy, since it attempts to expand gambling, a problem that many Indiana residents are battling. Brian Bosma, a Republican from Indianapolis, equated gaming to the “crack cocaine of public policy” and called for an end to the addiction. While the rhetoric may be overblown, Bosma raises a legitimate point. If we really want to eliminate a social vice like gambling, should we quietly sanction it in order to raise revenues? Moreover, allowing gambling in places where people are not in a state to make informed decisions strikes us as particularly exploitative. \nThis bill comes at the heels of a law that cracked down on illegal electronic gambling machines in bars. Ultimately, there is no way to reconcile the double message being sent by state lawmakers. \nGambling can be quite addictive for some individuals, a large number of whom belong to low-income neighborhoods. This bill just takes advantage of these people’s vulnerability and looks to make a quick buck out of it. It would also be fair to state that the bill just smacks of hypocrisy. After feigning concern over supposedly moral issues like same-sex marriage and contraception use, lawmakers are more than willing to expand gambling, a genuine vice. While the short-term benefits of introducing such legislation are evident, the long-term consequences of sanctioning gambling are too grave. \nDISSENT: Most people will tell you that they support personal liberty, that is, until they see people making choices they find unwise. Then, somehow, they seek to control everything. In the case of gambling, let’s ignore for a minute our personal viewpoints, whatever they may be. Gambling happens all the time in bars, and for a state whose laws are so often characterized by intrusive moralizing, this is one small step towards a rectification. Many of the problems that result from gambling, such as spending too much or fighting about the outcome, would be ameliorated by putting responsible people in charge of its administration. To do anything less would be to simply turn a blind eye to the fact that gambling will happen regardless, and ignore a good source of revenue for our state. In this, we can either effectively govern the world we have or pretend to govern the world we want.\n– Jacob Levin