Hacker News Reader

Comment by Invictus0 | Hacker News Reader

why can't we have a law that just caps your gambling losses? Everyone gets a federally issued gambling license tied to your ID, if you lose more than X amount the casino is no longer legally allowed to let you play. Casual gamblers can still enjoy, problem gamblers get cut off; just like with alcohol at the bar.

View on HN

For the same reason it isn't outlawed to begin with. It makes some wealthy, influential people even wealthier. They, not we, control our government.

Someone could create a market where problem gamblers can buy wagering power (the ability to risk more after reaching their own loss cap) from non-gamblers unless you force physical in person gambling with ID checks.

Gambling should return to being legal in Vegas and on reservations, 24/7 gambling anywhere is very problematic.

They can but most non gamblers wouldn't partictpate. Many non gomblers won't particitate because they might go to vegas this year and so want the chance.

> Many non gomblers won't particitate because they might go to vegas this year

I’m pretty sure you would see so many people selling their quotas that the price would be dirt cheap.

At the most basic level: how many can afford to go to Vegas? This would be sure money. They’d take it when they need it.

vegas is cheap. Not free, but cheap to get to compared to most other tourist traps. There are a fair amout of free trips to vegas those hopes will keep a lot away.

and most people have ethics and so would not sell. Maybe to someone in the family, but strangers.

Alcohol should only be legal in pubs and bars; alcohol in Disney World, on planes, and in grocery stores is very problematic.

You probably meant it as a quip but alcohol in every grocery store and definitely on planes is problematic.

It genuinely is, and I’d sooner see regulation targeting it than someone’s multileg parlay. There’s a much clearer line between alcohol on demand and public misconduct or injuries from DUI, than gambling and a more nebulous societal harm.

I think you're being a bit dramatic

A lot of jurisdictions restrict alcohol sales to liquor stores for this very reason.

your market idea makes no sense, and it could be outlawed easily.

I like it in principle, but the pathologically addicted already make additional accounts and pay other people to acquire them.

So it may help by stopping some people from getting to that point, but as a safety net, an important chunk of the victims will still punch right through it.

Adding friction helps

Interesting approach but crack is illegal and still people are addicted to it.

your point is not clear to me. alcohol is legal and people are addicted to it

That effectively destroys the industry, since 90% of revenue comes from 10% of customers.

yeah, good. okay.

Yeah, I mean I just don't see the point of a roundabout rule like that if the goal is to kill the companies - which it should be - just kill the companies directly.

It was a supreme court decision that started this whole thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy_v._National_Collegiate_...

FWIW, I'm not American, and wasn't replying to a thread in context of the legal specifics around gambling in America.

Some gambling companies may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

Sounds like a worthwhile use of the taxpayer's dollar.

you can even make gamblers pay to apply for the license

I was being sarcastic. Bitterly, sourly, saltily sarcastic.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com