Mike Griffin, who opposes sports gambling in Georgia, is a lobbyist for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board:
These reasons do not legitimize this predatory business in our state.
“They’re doing it anyway.”
The basis for this reasoning is that people already are betting on sports through illegal activity. In other words, since they’re already doing something illegal, we might as well make it legal.
Being unable to prevent a detrimental activity 100% of the time does not mean that we should legalize it, especially if it causes harm to families and children.
“We’re losing an opportunity to raise tax revenue!”
Do we really want to justify an activity because we could raise more tax revenue for the government coffers?
It already has been proved in studies that every dollar raised in tax revenue from gambling proceeds costs another $3 in social expense. It creates more need to raise tax revenue for the costs of addiction treatment, crime, and family and children services.
“It’s for the children!”
This is a reference to things like the HOPE scholarship.
Relative to the income that is going to be made by those who are propagating this industry, it is a small amount. Compared with how much money they are going to take away from the families, it’s a large amount.
Also, we already have a problem with children accessing gambling through phones and mobile devices, and it will get worse.
“We can regulate the industry better.”
While the industry does at times promise additional safeguards, can we trust regulations to work and be enforced? To put them in charge of policing/regulating itself against the misuse of gambling could be viewed as putting “the fox in charge of the hen house.”
Motivation regarding gambling regulation is not highly viewed in the industry or government. This does not consider the fact that penalties and fines for violations can appear as mere “slaps on the hand”!
