Will US War on Online Casinos Be Another Expensive Failure?

Why, then, would anyone suppose the ban on Internet casinos would be effective?

Despite crushing defeats in attempts to prohibit first alcohol and then drugs, the US government has followed the same dysfunctional policy regarding Internet gambling. The country has enacted a ban designed to prevent citizens from exercising their choices on personal lifestyle, preventing them from accessing online gambling sites.

Rolling Stone magazine is currently featuring a story on the US war on drugs. The article wastes no time in revealing the meat of the report: the US has spent $500 billion over thirty-five years to end drug use and block drug imports, yet drugs are easier to find and cheaper than ever.

Just as Prohibition did not deter alcohol sales or consumption, neither has the ban on drugs. Why, then, would anyone suppose the ban on Internet casinos would be effective?

Dr. Paul Richards, a noted sociologist, says, "Americans have shown that the government can't prevent them from getting what they want. If US officials want to guard against immoderate use of vices, whether it be gambling, booze, or drugs, the only workable method is to lower demand through education."

Richards went on to say that trying to block supply of a desired product simply creates black markets and generates scofflaws as well as raising public sympathy and affinity for criminals involved in distribution.

Having learned hard lessons from the wars on drugs and alcohol, the US government would be wise to apply the lessons and take a new tack where online gambling is concerned. Rather than pour money into enforcement of an online casino ban doomed to failure, regulation and legalization could weed out the criminal element while safeguarding consumers. It is time to learn from history.