How You Cannot Make Money

December 27th, 2010

Online gambling will get you nowhere
The struggle to legalize online gambling is back in the news. The oft-rehashed arguments against legalizing gambling that lack real evidence are rearing their heads once again in Washington. From the earliest days, man has loved gambling and many leaders have tried to stamp it out without success. Man still gambles and man still loves gambling.

Back in 1388
King Richard II passed a statute requiring people to buy items necessary for the martial arts and to stop spending money on “casting stone, and other importune games.” A century and a half later, King Henry VIII passed a law against gambling on the grounds that it diminished military ability because people spent leisure time gaming rather than practicing archery. Or so the bowyers, fletchers, stringers and arrowhead makers claimed in their petition. If you cannot compete, then get the government to outlaw the competition and disguise your motives with patriotic or moral outrage.

The 1600s
The Puritans condemned gambling because they opposed “idleness” In its first year of existence The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlawed not only the possession of cards, dice and gaming tables, but also dancing, singing and all “unnecessary” walking on Sundays. The Blue Laws of Connecticut in 1650 denounced gambling because it fostered too much “unfruitful” time. In 1737 the Massachusetts legislators changed anti-gambling laws, noting that lawful games and exercises are innocent and moderate recreations.

Religious Institutes
Not surprisingly, religious institutions fought gambling. It was competition for people’s leisure time, for their small change, and for their view of life too. Buying $10 worth of lottery tickets meant betting for better life on Earth in contrast to $10 on alms that implied bets for a better afterlife. Religious institutions eventually wanted all gambling outlawed, except for Church raffles and bingo in Church basements.

Present times
All forms of gambling changed dramatically with the advent of the internet from horse-racing to baccarat. Today it is possible to buy Lotto tickets and take part in a world-wide poker tournament without getting off the chair in front of your computer. You can win a major slot machine jackpot or lose everything dressed in your pajamas and holding a mobile phone in your hand.

The downside
Gambling is addictive. It also has other negative features, but the most dangerous is addiction. There are many stories of gamblers who lave lost everything they own due to gambling addiction. Your kids could be gambling in an online casino using your credit card number and you wouldn’t know a thing about it. Likewise your wife could be totally addicted to playing Bingo as soon as you step out of the house on your way to the office.

Online gambling
Gambling was ‘dangerous’ and addictive in the days before the internet when playing roulette meant driving hundreds of miles to a casino. Nowadays online gambling means a trip from the bedroom or kitchen to wherever the computer is standing and logging in to an online casino. Very few people have made real money by gambling.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 27th, 2010 at 7:24 am and is filed under Finance, Money, Personal / Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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