Gambling is Good

Roland Hopkins - 03/10/2008

About the Author:

Roland Hopkins

The Amercian Heritage College Dictionary says (and they outta know) GAMBLE - TO BET ON AN UNCERTAIN OUTCOME - A RISK.

I think is was the late Jimmy The Greek who said, "If you don't gamble every day, you will never know when your iucky day comes allong."

Any success motovative lecture will tell you that onkly those who risk ever make anything of themselves.

And, the strictest religion I ever encountered is the Catholic religion that I believe still holds BINGO every saturday night.

Add these up and what do you get? You get gambling that can be fun, profitable, harmless, addictive but not immoral in any way. So we can cross thta excuse out immediately.

The state of Nevada legalized gambling way back in the forties. What was the result? No sales taxes. No real estate taxes. Well -lots of less taxes on the residents. Did they report more crime? No! Did thye have more foreclosures, more bankrupties, more drug addicts? No! So why didn't the rest of the states follow suit? I give up! But most of them finally did wake up several years ago and bring in the State lotteries. The result? Lots of new money in the State's goffers. Did it result in more crime - more bankruptsies? No!

Hey, people have been playing THE NUMBERS since the thirties and the states never benefitted. In a free country people are going to figure our a way to do what they want to do, especially if it doesn't hurt anyone else. Right?

So where have the Northest states been since Nevada proved thta gambling was a great way of raising revenue? They have all okayed lotteries. Good for them. But what about the most popular gambling of all - slot machines? Is it a crime to put a nickle, dime, quarter, dollar or more in a machine and pull a lever or press a button and wait to see if you hit it big? Sounds kind of stupid when you out it that way, but millions of peop[le love to do it. Shouldn't every state in a free country allow slot machines?

Connecticut is the proud location of the largest casino in the world - Foxwoods.

Massachusetts, New Hamsphire, Vermont and Maine should be ashamed of themselves to overlook the opportunity to capitalize on a no-brainer as allowing slot machines in facilities that already have a gambling license - the race tracks that are already set up for it. Facilities, seating, restaurants, parking, transportation, etc. By the way, it has been proven that for the past 50 years horseracing has been and still is the most policed sport in the world and the most difficult to manipulate.

Rhide Island has slots at Lincoln Park. Good for them. The smallest state in the union thinking bigger than most!

New York finally has slot machines. What took them so long?

Massachusetts is now seriously discussing casinos and still dragging its feet on slot machines - the pols sittiing on their hands. Isn't it in Massachusetts that everything began in 1620. Do you think those guys took risks? Hey, they gambled with their lives just to get here. And they were met by Indians, who, by the way, are the forward thinking people who are responsible for a lot of the casinos in the country.

Is it our function on this earth to save people? If the answwer is yes, we can save a lot of people's jobs by allowing slot machines in race tracks and at the same time bring smiles to a lot of people's faces who have fun playing them.

The downside? There isn't any?

This message is mailed to all the governors. I wonder how many of them can read. I guess we'll find out when the gambling yes or no votes are cast.

Good night and keep gamblling, because if you don't, you'll never know when your lucky day is here.