Pennsylvania Pays Bounty on Illegal Casinos and Gambling
The hypocrisy of politicians regarding gambling is a brazen shame. Rather than taking a stance for or against land casinos or online gambling as a moral issue of freedom and consumer protection, lawmakers seem solely concerned with getting their share.
Governor Steve Beshear has sought to shut down Internet casinos by seizing domain names, giving the reason that the state does not collect a direct tax from online gaming operators. In Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendell and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board have issued grants throughout the state to assist local police in shutting down illegal gambling.
Even the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette can read between the lines on this bounty money placed on small-time gambling operations. Closing these avenues of wagering is not so much about combating crime as it is increasing the state take at the seven Pennsylvania casinos.
In these cases, the government acts much like organized crime running a protection racket. Those who pay for protection get to operate, while the strong-arm squad gets bonuses for shutting down obscure, hole-in-the-wall gambling setups. Of course, with the mob one could always call the police; this time it is the police.
The idea that public money should be distributed so that it becomes more imperative to police to chase local bar owners and charitable organizations than violent criminals shows the misuse these politicians are making of their power.
