Gambling and sports gambling are big business these days in the United States of America. For many years it was thought that only in Nevada could one place a legal bet of any kind. Then over time Indian Nation Casino’s started to pop up here and there across the country. Now in almost no matter what state you live in these days you most likely have a casino within a thirty minute to one-hour drive of your doorstep. So where is gambling and the world of gambling to go next to expand the pot and grow their business? Online gambling is the answer and in the state of Florida this is a topic that is being highly debated these days.
Many people who are anti-casino and anti-gambling feel it is a slippery slope that leads to addiction and only attracts the lowest common denominator among society to local casinos. They feel it leads to underage gambling which then leads to ruining the lives of young people and putting them in a hole they cannot get out of. People in favor of gambling see a totally different side of the story though as they see casino’s opening as job growth for the local area and the tourism aspect that brings out of towners to a local area for vacations and weekend stays. Not to mention the extra money into the local economy around the casino brings the value of the entire city/town/village up.
These days Miami casinos are all very prosperous doing very well attracting thousands of people each day, but how can these South Florida casino’s grow? With online gambling where your die-hard and responsible gambler doesn’t have to get in his car to make that drive and can gamble from his tablet, computer, or cell phone from the comfort of his own living room.
The problem is in Florida like in many other states across the country online gambling is outlawed. You cannot place a bet online for sports or play a video slot machine over the internet and this is a battle lawmakers are having these days in Florida and in many other states. Should online gambling be legal?
Just last month in New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo didn’t add mobile sports betting in his 2020 budget which caused many New York State lawmakers to become very upset as they feel it is a way to help the state in it’s $6 billion shortfall.
The online or mobile gambling it is a way for the casino to make more money and continue to grow their business and for the state governments it is a way for them to specifically earmark the money from online gambling to make up for spending in other areas of the state.
By comparison New York is the 4th largest state but the largest state to legalize sports gambling. Texas, California, and Florida have not. And the 5th largest state Pennsylvania which has online sports betting took in $1.49 billion in just online sports betting alone. That’s just sports betting and not total online gambling.
The state of Florida is missing out by not legalizing sports gambling yet and also not having online gambling period. The income that is being left on the table would help pay for updating roads, bridges, schools, and other public utilities in the state.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio in 2016 and still holds the stance of being anti-online gambling. Rubio in the past has supported a bill to make online gambling a crime in all 50 states. His stance is that online gambling leads to addiction and it ruin’s family’s and lives. The same could be said for alcohol though and that is legal in Florida and the other 49 states so his stance one would say is a bit hypocritical.
People who want to gamble whether on a roulette wheel, black-jack table, or on a sporting event are going to find a way to gamble. It is time Florida gets with the times and get their cut by making online gambling legal. It’s a win-win for all parties involved.
