Licensing sin provides the illusion of revenue for State governments.
Revenue, yes. The problem is that the COST of producing this revenue stream is never seriously discussed.
In South Dakota, gambling was sold as a funding solution for government (over)spending habits and revenue shortfalls. As the millions of tax dollars generated from gambling flow into the state bank accounts, the outflow continues to grow. Food stamp recipient numbers have grown exponentially, as well as other social programs. The weekly paychecks of families are routinely pumped into gambling. Estates literally disappear. Taxpayers are left to clean up the mess, and provide for families whose resources have been snatched from them by machines that offer “big wins”. Putting family resources into a system that guarantees a net loss is NEVER a winning equation. Giving state government is percentage of the “take” doesn’t change the math. The net loss to families is simply passed on to taxpayers by creating greater needs in the families who fall victim to this cycle of sin. It is a net loss for everyone… except the owners of gambling establishments who enrich themselves on the backs of families and taxpayers.
It’s a shell game that presents the illusion of “winning”.
The latest-greatest government revenue scheme in this country is legalized marijuana. The principle is much like taxation of gambling. It provides a net loss to society. The degradation of individuals, families and society introduced by legalizing this addictive drug is a cost that far outweighs any possible benefit.
Licensing sin with the expectation of funding government spending has only fed another form of addiction… the political addiction to spending increases. At the end of the day, taxing sin sets the stage for even bigger failures. More government spending is required to solve problems created by the licensed forms of sin. Governments expand spending programs to keep up with new problems and exacerbated old ones. Less money is left for healthy family provisions.
Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.
Normalizing and taxing sin will ALWAYS produce failure.
*** Gordon Howie *** is an author and CEO of Life and Liberty Media 
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