• Home
  • Stop the Kenosha Casino
  • About
    • About Us
    • History of Gambling in Wisconsin
  • FACTS
  • NEWSROOM
  • CONTACT
    • CONTRIBUTE
Citizens Against Expanded GamblingCitizens Against Expanded Gambling
Citizens Against Expanded GamblingCitizens Against Expanded Gambling
  • Home
  • Stop the Kenosha Casino
  • About
    • About Us
    • History of Gambling in Wisconsin
  • FACTS
  • NEWSROOM
  • CONTACT
    • CONTRIBUTE

Online Gambling Is a Serious Threat

March 15, 2016 Posted by Citizens Against Expanded Gambling Blog

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) has been a highly debated topic in recent months.  Forbes reported that daily games were projected to generate $2.6 billion in entry fees alone in 2015 while only paying out around $1 billion in contest prizes.  More concerning, is that 80 percent of bettors will lose about half of their money.

A few weeks ago, DraftKings, Inc. and FanDuel, Inc. lobbied the legislature to consider a bill that, if passed, would have made Daily Fantasy Sports legal in Wisconsin by defining it as a game of skill rather than a game of chance.  The passage of this bill would have opened a virtual casino on every computer and smart phone in the state, making it the single largest expansion of gambling in Wisconsin history.

Daily Fantasy Sports online wagering meets all of the requirements of the fundamental definition of commercial gambling.  It has consideration; it has a prize; and it has chance.  States across the nation are wrestling with these back-door attempts to legalize online gambling, and several states have declared Daily Fantasy Sports to be illegal online gambling (Vermont, Texas, Mississippi, New York, Hawaii, Illinois, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee).

In 2011, the US Department of Justice reversed its outright ban on internet gambling and left it to the individual states to sort it out as long they don’t permit online wagering on sporting events and competitions.  This reversal allows these companies to try to redefine gambling to fit their needs and circumvent the law.

Proponents of expanding gambling argue that the expansion is a way to bridge the gap in state and local government revenues, but proximity matters.  The closer the access, the more likely the addiction, and it cannot get any closer than in the privacy of our homes and smartphones.  Everyone becomes one click away from losing everything.  No cooling off period while you run to the bank or to the ATM.  Just a quick simple click in the heat of the moment, and BOOM!  GONE!

A big part of gambling addiction treatment is to change habits and avoid access to gambling opportunities.   Online gambling makes it possible to access gambling opportunities anywhere there is an internet connection and a smartphone, without public exposure.  The typical accountability measures used in addiction treatments are extremely comprised when online gambling enters the stage.

Wisconsin’s Council on Problem Gambling indicates that approximately 333,000 Wisconsin residents have a gambling problem – that’s a 329% increase since 1996.  This increase has a direct correlation to the expansion of casinos throughout Wisconsin.

Internet gambling is a bad idea.

Share
0

About Citizens Against Expanded Gambling

Founded in 2015, Citizens Against Expanding Gambling (CAEG) is the only organization exclusively dedicated to lobbying against the expansion of gambling in Wisconsin. We inform, equip and engage 1,000s in our statewide grassroots coalition of citizens, employers and community leaders who share a common concern about the explosion of gambling in Wisconsin. Join our coalition today by signing our petition here. We have successfully fought back the legalization of Daily Fantasy Sports (the entrée to online gambling) in 2016 and 2017.

You also might be interested in

Gambling addiction derailed Sheboygan woman’s life

Mar 14, 2015

“In reality, it was more than $500,000 she had taken from the company. For her crimes, she received eight years in prison.”

Deadly Bet – The Jason McGuigan Story

Jul 11, 2015

“When Jason failed to place a large bet for Wu, a bet that would have won a very large amount of money, Mark turned to violence to settle his score. Wu shot Jason in his own home, along with two of Jason’s roommates…”

City takes stance against Ho-Chunk trust plan

Jun 21, 2011

"The City of Baraboo agreed to support Sauk County's opposition to the Ho-Chunk Nation taking land near their casino into tax-exempt status Monday evening, with the proviso that the interested parties should work on a mutually agreeable compromise. Controversy has been sparked among local government bodies after the Nation applied to the federal Bureau of Indian affairs to have 600 acres of land along Highway 12 and North Reedsburg Road given trust status. Schauf has estimated trust status for the properties would result in a loss of about $700,000 in taxes for the county, Baraboo School District, town of Delton and other governments."

Latest Posts

  • WHO calls RG measures ‘ineffective’ and urges gambling ad ban
  • ‘Sports Betting Isn’t Just A Little Hobby,’ Says Dave Ramsey. He Believes It’s An Addiction That’s Ruining Families—’The House Always Wins’
  • Menominee Tribe Responds to KCE’s Report On Casino Concerns Amid Community Skepticism
  • Menominee Leave Kenosha In The Dark On Status Of Casino Project: Opinion
  • Menominee’s Bad Bets on Democrats Catch Up To Them

CONTACT US

Citizens Against Expanded Gambling, Inc.
PO Box 7294
Appleton, WI 54912

Phone: (920) 659-4489
email: info@citizensagainstgambling.com
www.citizensagainstgambling.com

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem,
call 1-800-GAMBLE-5 (1-800-426-2535) 24 hours a day.

Privacy Policy

CONTACT US

Citizens Against Expanded Gambling, Inc (CAEG) is organized under section 501 (c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to CAEG are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal or state income tax purposes.

Prev Next