Casino Gambling in Georgia - Should Casino Gambling Be Made Legal in Georgia?

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The State of Georgia is facing a budget shortfall for fiscal 2009 of over Billion. And states do not have the luxury of running deficit spending, and printing up paper money to cover the shortfall. State budgets must be balanced each year. So, Georgia needs to give serious consideration to a new revenue stream.

Casino Gambling in Georgia - Should Casino Gambling Be Made Legal in Georgia?

State Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta) has announced his intention to introduce a bill in the 2009 legislative session to allow voters to decide if they want gaming in Georgia. His bill would allow voters of each Georgia county to decide whether or not they wanted gaming in their county. The Georgia Assembly and recent governors have been cool to the idea of casinos in Georgia. But the legislature has never allowed any gaming proposal to be voted on in a general referendum or any other popular vote.

The big question is: Should gambling be made legal in the state of Georgia?

Answer Number One: In a free society, individuals are free to use their income and assets whichever way they choose. There should be no moral, ethical, or even Biblical sanction against gambling. Some people believe that gambling is a sin, but a sin should not be made illegal when it does not initiate force or fraud against another individual. Said another way, if I use my money to gamble with, it's my business.

Answer Number Two: The State legislators have already settled any moral trepidations they may have ever had over gambling. It is already legal here in Georgia in one form. Fifteen years ago, lottery gambling became legal in Georgia, and to date, has generated over Billion in tax revenue. Sales for fiscal year 2008 climbed to a record-breaking .5 billion, exceeding the revenue generated during fiscal year 2007. So, the State of Georgia has already been in the gaming business for over 15 years. Casino gambling is simply another form of gambling. However, with casino gambling, the state will not have the monopoly, but private enterprise will own and operate the casinos.

With a 15-year history of successful gaming under its belt, it is going to be pretty hard for the Georgia General Assembly to refuse casino gambling without exhibiting massive hypocrisy. But massive hypocrisy has not stopped them in the past.

But, what about other states where gaming is legal? What has their experience been?

To find out, I went to the website of the American Gaming Association in Washington, DC.

In Nevada, the granddaddy of them all, where gaming began in 1931, tax revenues from gaming have been a large part of the state budget. In 2006, Nevada gaming had 201,000 employees and tax revenues were .034 Billion. Nevada's budget for 2009 is set at Billion, so gaming revenue comprises about 17% of that state's total income each year.

Mississippi legalized gaming in 1990, passed by legislation and local option vote. There are 30,500 gaming employees, and tax revenue for 2006 was 0.44 Million.

Louisiana legalized gambling in 1993, passed by legislation and local option vote. Tax revenue last year was 9 million, another million from racetrack casinos, with 20,300 gaming employees.

Michigan legalized gambling in 1996 by statewide referendum, local option vote and legislation. Michigan has 3 casinos that generated 2006 tax revenue of 5 million.

So we see here that other states have long histories of success with casino gambling.

Casino gambling would be a welcome addition to the convention business in Atlanta and other Georgia cities. Las Vegas has been stealing away convention business for years now with their gaming and entertainment attractions. The Georgia hospitality and restaurant industries would also get an infusion of business as they support gaming tourism.

Atlanta has another competitive advantage as a gaming destination...Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest airport in the world. It's been said that you can't even get to heaven without connecting through Atlanta. Our presence as a Southern regional transportation hub makes Atlanta an easy gaming destination for the two thirds of the population of the US that lives east of the Mississippi River.

Casino gambling can be a valuable addition to the economy of Georgia. I hope that the Georgia General Assembly can find its courage and conscience and votes in favor of casino gambling in the 2009 Legislative Session.

Should We Allow MLM and Network Marketing?

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scam - a dishonest scheme; a fraud: [with adj. ] an insurance scam.

Should We Allow MLM and Network Marketing?

When I was younger there was a very clear definition of this word. This was before the internet, MLM or Network Marketing. It was clear that if someone was scammed they had been relieved of something valuable (usually money) for nothing in return (or consideration, to use a legal term). Scamming was done by people with the intent of being dishonest. Such people will always find a way. These days they can duplicated your ATM card or credit card and find your PIN and, hey presto, relieve you of your money giving you nothing in return. There are people who forge money or gems or tell you you've won the Spanish lottery when you haven't even played it. These are scams.

Today, unfortunately, this word is all over the internet. Sometimes even in its correct context. You see, the internet has given many people a voice. It has given everyone a voice. This article website is a perfect example. It allows me to jot down my thoughts and opinions for the public to see and it allows them to respond with their own opinions. Nice.

It also means that people's opinions ma be taken as unverified fact. It's a double edged sword. I know many of you who read this are in the network marketing businesses and MLM opportunities. Opportunities that offer people the chance to become business owners and build teams, a chance at empowerment to make their own decisions. I am sure that you believe in the products that you sell as well as the compensation plan otherwise you wouldn't be successful, right? You understood the risks, the numbers and you read the terms and conditions, right?

So what happens when someone doesn't make it in this industry when the statistics show that only 3% will? Should we close down this type of business model? Should we stop franchises or bricks and mortar businesses where there is a two year break-even period and perhaps only a 9% long-term success rate? Should we allow lotteries where the chance of winning is astronomical?

Are these scams because the success rate is so low?

Do we have an obligation to the majority to deny an opportunity where only a minority will succeed?

As always, I look forward to your comments and leave you with this quote from the Buddha;

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.

Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.

Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.

But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." Buddha

Should You Pick Your Own Lottery Numbers Or Buy a Quick-Pick Ticket?

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Do people win the lottery more often when picking their own numbers? Or is a random quick-pick ticket just the same?

Should You Pick Your Own Lottery Numbers Or Buy a Quick-Pick Ticket?

Quick-pick tickets are certainly a popular and convenient way to play the lottery. But surely your chances must be better if you carefully select the numbers yourself. Aren't they?

Some definitely believe there is an art to picking lottery numbers. While others would swear that using numbers that came to them in a dream or some other esoteric way are clearly going to be winners.

It's certainly true that using your 'chosen numbers', however they were selected, gives a certain sense of control over the lottery. And it will definitely create a reassuring feeling that you were right if your 'system' wins even a smaller prize. But the true picture requires a step back to see events more clearly.

States and countries around the world spend a lot of money on their lottery machines and staff. They go a long way to ensure that the draw is fair to all players. And that means they make every possible effort to ensure the draw is random.

But on top of this effort, also consider that the numbers we choose are actually just markings on a ball (for most lotteries).

So will the ball with the number 7 on it be drawn more often because lots of people think of 7 as a lucky number? No. Because it's actually the little balls that come out of the draw machine, not numbers. The numbers themselves have no way of affecting the draw result at all.

The fact is, a quick-pick ticket actually has exactly the same chance of winning as a ticket made up of carefully selected lucky numbers. Just like a ticket created by a 'clever' computer program. Or a ticket created by any other means.

It may not be as much fun, but if you're in a hurry a quick-pick will not hurt your chances of winning the lottery.