The Courier Press reports on Gov. Daniels signing into law HB 1153 which allows bars to offer some kinds of gambling, including pull-tabs, punch boards, and tip boards. The sale of the boards can’t exceed $1.00 and, if I’m reading it right, the maximum payout on a game is $599.
It’s looking more and more like we should do an overhaul of our approach to gambling. It seems to be a bit of an irrational hodge-podge. I think this arises out of our attempts to kid ourselves that we aren’t really a gambling state. Returning to a quip I use far too much, we’ve now established what we are and are merely haggling over the price — lottery, gambling boats, gambling in bars — I don’t think lawmakers can really pretend that Indiana, as a rule, is anti-gambling. At this point, I think we either need to do the hard things we need to do to return to being an anti-gambling state (which we won’t because we’re addicted to gambling tax revenue as a substitute for more direct taxation) or we can come up with a more rational, comprehensive gambling regime.
I agree 100%.
I understand the negatives of gambling….but we have already walked through that door, changed the lock and threw away the key.
So now it is just a matter of what do we do now?
The most obvious example of this is the French Lick “boat”. It’s nice to see all the business and the resurgence of French Lick and Baden Springs. It should have happened a long time ago. But doing the make-believe step of building a “boat” in a little moat was just stupid.
Likewise, there should be a casino in Union Station. And the casinos should have sports books in them.
MORE GAMBLING!
Of course, I think we should legalize (and tax) a lot of vices. That’s why I’m going to hell in a handbasket.
More smoking, too – it’s for the children!
Do you care enough to smoke?
Another thing I can spend my savings from my statewide 30% property tax reduction :-)