Wasn't sure if this should go in the same thread as the lottery thread, because it's not quite the same...
Anyhoo... I'm interested to learn what this board thinks about gambling. I find it so strange that you can buy a gun here, but you can't just go into a local betting shop and place a bet on a sporting event.
In England (where I grew up) there are so many betting shops (we call them bookies, derived from bookmakers). It's all very open, nothing dodgy or seedy about it. You have to be over 18 to place bets (and this is very rigorously enforced). It's not like here where (in most / all? states) you have to be at a casino or at a race course to place a bet. And we bet on everything - horse-racing, football, soccer, cricket, rugby, politics...
There's also Betfair - which is a hugely successful person to person betting exchange. A few years ago, US citizens could use betfair, but it's now blocked for most US users (you can visit the site, but not place a bet).
I don't believe there is a huge gambling problem in the UK (rather I haven't seen any evidence to suggest there is) and just find it completely intriguing that it's not allowed here as it is in Europe, particularly since it can actually bring in so much money in taxes.
Is there a moral issue that concerns people? Does anyone even care about this?
Anyhoo... I'm interested to learn what this board thinks about gambling. I find it so strange that you can buy a gun here, but you can't just go into a local betting shop and place a bet on a sporting event.
In England (where I grew up) there are so many betting shops (we call them bookies, derived from bookmakers). It's all very open, nothing dodgy or seedy about it. You have to be over 18 to place bets (and this is very rigorously enforced). It's not like here where (in most / all? states) you have to be at a casino or at a race course to place a bet. And we bet on everything - horse-racing, football, soccer, cricket, rugby, politics...
There's also Betfair - which is a hugely successful person to person betting exchange. A few years ago, US citizens could use betfair, but it's now blocked for most US users (you can visit the site, but not place a bet).
I don't believe there is a huge gambling problem in the UK (rather I haven't seen any evidence to suggest there is) and just find it completely intriguing that it's not allowed here as it is in Europe, particularly since it can actually bring in so much money in taxes.
Is there a moral issue that concerns people? Does anyone even care about this?
