The aspects of gambling are actively discussed by politicians, economists, sociologists, and psychologists. The discussion usually depends on determining the negative impacts of gambling on the people’s life and welfare. Nevertheless, some economists and politicians claim that legalisation of gambling in definite states can contribute to raising revenues. Some US states have legalised gambling, but the question concerning the positive or negative effects of legalisation is rather controversial. Discussing the situation in Georgia, researchers are inclined to refer to the fact that advantages of using gambling as a means to improve the economic situation in the state are not obvious. From this point, Georgia should not legalise gambling to raise revenues because the positive relationship between gambling and increased revenues is not determined in relation to the other states; the positive economic impact of gambling industries is lower than the benefits from creating other industries within the state; gambling is a kind of addiction for many persons; legalisation of gambling stimulates the development of the organized crime.
The supporters of the idea to legalise gambling in Georgia refer to the possible positive effects of the process on the economy of the state. However, the direct relationship between legalising gambling and increasing the state’s revenues is not observed. Thus, this correlation is not typical for such states as, for instance, Nevada or New Jersey. Economists focus on the significant tax revenues from the gambling industries, but these revenues cannot support the whole economic sphere of the state (Walker and Jackson 3-4). Walker and Jackson pay attention to the fact that although the tax revenues from legalised gambling can be discussed as sizable in a lot of states, “this does not necessarily mean that legalised gambling has contributed to a net increase in overall state revenues” (Walker and Jackson 1). Thus, the economic development of the state cannot depend fully on the legalisation of gambling (Fink, Marco, and Rork 2360-2361). The revenues can increase, but the direct interdependence of the processes is not observed with references to the experiences of Nevada, New Jersey, and other states.
Moreover, gambling industries do not provide new goods or financial sources because they primarily depend on the circulation of resources within the industry. Thus, according to Walker and Jackson, when people “spend more of their income on gambling activities, their spending on other goods and services is likely to decline” (Walker and Jackson 1). From this perspective, revenues can increase basing mostly on the taxpayers when the effect of creating jobs and developing tourism in the state is less significant. As a result, the economic advantage of legalising gambling is a rather debatable question because the benefits from legalisation of gambling are not as obvious as the advantages of creating and developing new industries within Georgia.
Gambling is also a sociological and psychological problem. Legalisation of gambling in Georgia can influence the society in the state significantly because many persons suffer from compulsive gambling. Thus, legalisation of gambling is the first step to increase their addiction. Gambling is harmful for the social health because it negatively affects families and friends of compulsive gamblers (Popp and Stehwien 328). The problem is in the fact that gambling in different forms is the reason for people’s losing jobs, ruining families, and personal decline. Trying to find the ways to improve their economic state with the help of gambling, many people become dependent on the system of the gambling industry. Legalisation of gambling provides many legal obstacles for persons and social groups to control the people’s addiction to gambling.
Thus, the gambling industry in all its forms is prosperous. The industry is based on significant finances, and it provides large profits. Accordingly, the gambling industry is closely associated with the organised crime (Fink, Marco, and Rork 2361). The current situation in the gambling industry and its non-legalised status in Georgia contribute to controlling and regulating the crime in relation to the gambling business. Nevertheless, legalisation of gambling can result not only in increasing revenues but also in increasing rates of crime and corruption within the state (Walker and Jackson 4). That is why, legalising gambling, Georgia can face a lot of problems associated not only with the economic and social fields but also with the legal sphere.
As a result, Georgia should not legalise gambling because of many negative effects of the process and few possibilities to increase the state’s revenues. However, winners and losers are usually present in relation to any situation, and the task of the state government is to determine who should be winners and losers in the situation with legalising gambling. Thus, further legalisation processes in the country can develop the significant gamble in which people will be involved because the life and economy are great gambles. Being involved in the economic gamble, people become losers, when the government can gain significant benefits.
Works Cited
Fink, Stephen, Alan Marco, and Jonathan Rork. “Lotto Nothing? The Budgetary Impact of State Lotteries”. Applied Economics 36.4 (2004): 2357–2367. Print.
Popp, Anthony, and Charles Stehwien. “Indian Casino Gambling and State Revenue: Some Further Evidence”. Public Finance Review 30.2 (2002): 320-330. Print.
Walker, Douglas, and John Jackson. The Effect of Legalized Gambling on State Government Revenue. 2010. Web.