4 ms·

Is it about that specifically, or is it that the states are forcing these websites to play by the same rules as everyone else? Ignoring laws that everyone else

Is it about that specifically, or is it that the states are forcing these websites to play by the same rules as everyone else? Ignoring laws that everyone else has to play by is something that has worked so far for Airbnb and Uber but apparently something like gambling is a bit more clear cut.

tikhonj 11y ago
The two aren't mutually exclusive. If they are just forcing them to "play by the same rules", Chollida's question just becomes "why are the rules in the state stacked against gambling?", with the rest of the question unchanged. It's perfectly possible to fairly enforce unfair (and/or fair but counterproductive) rules, but that on its own doesn't justify it. Viewed this way, these companies are then just engaging in something like constructive noncompliance.
- JonFish85 11y ago
  That is an entirely different question, but the answer probably isn't that anyone can ignore inconvenient laws under the guise of "It's unjust"
- rayiner 11y ago
  Your question reduces to: why is gambling illegal? And the answer is that lots of people don't like it, and people are entitled to make things they don't like illegal. A recent poll found that 55% of people think sports betting should be legal, while 33% think it should be illegal: https://www13.shu.edu/academics/business/sports-polling/upload/11-14-NBA-gambling.pdf https://www13.shu.edu/academics/business/sports-polling/uplo.... But if you read closely, support drops off dramatically in the 45+ age group, which is heavily over-represented at the polls, especially in local elections. One study found that the median age of voters in mayoral elections in four cities was 60: http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2015/7/28/portland-state-study-seniors-much-more-likely-cast-ballots-young-votes http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2015/7/28/p....
  - jdminhbg 11y ago
    > people are entitled to make things they don't like illegal Things like gay marriage, flag burning, and atheists holding public office, right?
    - GalacticDomin8r 11y ago
      That known as the "tyranny of the majority" and yes it's one of those warts no one likes to credit democracy with.
    - rayiner 11y ago
      Those are the exceptions that prove the rule. Only when it implicates a fundamental right will the majority be precluded from banning things they dislike.
  - Spooky23 11y ago
    Gambling is illegal in most places because it's an addictive behavior that causes a lot of social problems and attracts an undesirable element. States started rolling out lotteries 50-60 years ago as a regressive tax scheme that also helped to reduce demand for illegal numbers rackets.

tikhonj 11y ago

The two aren't mutually exclusive. If they are just forcing them to "play by the same rules", Chollida's question just becomes "why are the rules in the state stacked against gambling?", with the rest of the question unchanged. It's perfectly possible to fairly enforce unfair (and/or fair but counterproductive) rules, but that on its own doesn't justify it. Viewed this way, these companies are then just engaging in something like constructive noncompliance.

JonFish85 11y ago
That is an entirely different question, but the answer probably isn't that anyone can ignore inconvenient laws under the guise of "It's unjust"
rayiner 11y ago
Your question reduces to: why is gambling illegal? And the answer is that lots of people don't like it, and people are entitled to make things they don't like illegal. A recent poll found that 55% of people think sports betting should be legal, while 33% think it should be illegal: https://www13.shu.edu/academics/business/sports-polling/upload/11-14-NBA-gambling.pdf https://www13.shu.edu/academics/business/sports-polling/uplo.... But if you read closely, support drops off dramatically in the 45+ age group, which is heavily over-represented at the polls, especially in local elections. One study found that the median age of voters in mayoral elections in four cities was 60: http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2015/7/28/portland-state-study-seniors-much-more-likely-cast-ballots-young-votes http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2015/7/28/p....
- jdminhbg 11y ago
  > people are entitled to make things they don't like illegal Things like gay marriage, flag burning, and atheists holding public office, right?
  - GalacticDomin8r 11y ago
    That known as the "tyranny of the majority" and yes it's one of those warts no one likes to credit democracy with.
  - rayiner 11y ago
    Those are the exceptions that prove the rule. Only when it implicates a fundamental right will the majority be precluded from banning things they dislike.
- Spooky23 11y ago
  Gambling is illegal in most places because it's an addictive behavior that causes a lot of social problems and attracts an undesirable element. States started rolling out lotteries 50-60 years ago as a regressive tax scheme that also helped to reduce demand for illegal numbers rackets.