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Reason Magazine Editor-in-Chief Matt Welch on why online gambling should be legalized and could boost tax revenue.
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He may be getting set to roll the dice on all the online gambling our colleagues at the New York Post saying momentum is building to legalize Internet that -- As a way to bring in extra revenue and a bill could come before congress by the end of the year.
Matt Welch editor in chief for reason magazine says ending the rules against online gambling.
You know what it just makes fiscal sense he's with us now -- and make a case.
Basically why should we be prohibiting.
Any activity between consenting adults that hurts nobody.
Mean just on a basic freedom level it doesn't seem to make any sense to me that you outlaw someone who wants to play online poker where this Hauser is pals overseas.
The fiscal cases even more clear if any thing.
We are driving this activity either underground and illegal or we're just letting all that money flow in the koppers of foreign governments and foreign companies -- if you want to retain that money and allow for the natural development of something that Americans seem to love to do.
Repeal of prohibition already.
And and I would assume that you need to be fine with taxing this and that way you get the revenue from it.
Well I mean -- -- all activity is tax in this country so that would be another activity that would be -- so -- -- -- -- don't necessarily want -- let be a huge tax and all my -- yeah out.
I'm I'm not against the sort of -- I don't care I mean it and they're hiding it now so we -- this has been a huge battle for a long time.
The question becomes when you talk to people who work.
Vehemently against this they say.
That there's gambling -- huge problem and if if you can't even have it be seen say for example in a casino in Vegas people be.
In their parents' basements on computers -- all -- getting themselves -- horrific get that that becomes a huge problem.
Well you know there's also alcohol addiction as -- sex addiction I I understand from Tiger Woods.
That's possible too does the government prohibit all of these activities just because a few people can't control themselves.
In some way I don't think that that's a really rational way to look at and another thing is we have a lot of state sanctioned monopoly gambling outfits New York.
North Dakota.
Have online gambling through -- lottery systems and I think that's a lot more problematic actually then then allowing people to gamble online.
-- that -- the FBI would find really problematic your position to legalize marijuana because.
Of the law enforcement problems -- criminality criminality there.
Also the drug gangs.
The cost more than any fiscal -- fickle come in from taxing marijuana they say no way should not do it and would hurt the you know the country's children as well.
-- do you hear a lot of talk about -- alcohol gangs that -- the countryside know you did during the nineteen.
Twenties and another.
Additionally -- well wait a minute there are cartels who are opposing law enforcement problems to.
Basically try to smuggling pot in the United States and it's a real serious issue with crime and with -- so that is a serious problem for the FBI.
No but the -- that the prohibition.
Creates the crime problem it's not that the crime problem go away in Mexico for sure.
But at just like in alcohol if you allow for the cultivation of marijuana in America you wouldn't have to smuggle it.
At high across the prices from Mexico you can grow it in California and or again and tax and regulate -- and prices would go down until finally associated with that they still have a lot of our you're criminality.
But if it's legal you're gonna have left less of the black market that's just the fundamental definition of terms.
Well there spike -- agreed with the legalize marijuana that you -- my -- were wanted to say thank you -- you have to exit they are not criminality out of it and then -- -- Welch editor in chief.
