Jay
03-02-2009, 03:05 PM
This is sofaking retarded..
Placing ATM's in lotto places only makes gambling worse? Ok, so gambling is a problem.. let's not fix it, let's just move ATM's away fr mthe places, cause as we all know NO ONE can drive to an ATM right?
CHARLESTON - Local legislators agree with bills banning ATMs in video lottery establishment.
Sen. Frank Deem, R-Wood, is a "tax on poor people" and having an ATM nearby only fuels problem gambling. He cosponsored a bill on the Senate side that would make it illegal to put ATMs in video lottery establishments.
"Video lottery machines take food off the table for a lot of people," Deem said. "I would do anything I could to restrict the presence of video lottery machines. They pay for the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. scholarship, but that money should be taken from someplace else. People go in those places hoping to win big and they lose their money. They think `just one more time and I'll win.' Having an ATM machine there makes it too easy for them to lose money," he said.
A similar bill has been introduced in the House. Delegate Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, said he likes the idea.
"We don't want to make it any easier for people to lose money in those stupid (video lottery) machines," he said.
Gary Traugh, who owns video-lottery establishments, said the state can't take the moral high ground with regulations.
"It's hypocrisy. The state is the biggest villain. If they are worried about people, they would cut the state's portion (of profits) and to raise the payout percentage so the player gets more money," he said. "The state takes about 52 percent of all profits and if I make any money, I have to pay tax on that. Who makes money on video lottery? The state. I'll tell you who does not make money, the owner and the player."
Traugh said banning ATMs from the establishments will do little good for problem gamblers.
"I would rather see a law that says you can't spend more than so much money an hour. Give them a limit, just like you are only allowed so many drinks in a bar," he said.
The house version of the bill, H.B. 2351, would not only prohibit ATMs, it would do away with video lottery altogether by making all permits expire in 2011. At that point, only fraternal and veterans organizations would be able to have permits renewed.
It's a case of legislating common sense, said Dan Poling, D-Wood. Yet, a ban on nearby ATMs can help prevent recreational gambling from becoming problem gambling, he said.
"I'm for it. People go to the video lottery and when they start playing, it's recreational," he said. "That's the way they start out. If they bring in $20 and lose that, they go on. With an ATM, they can get cash right there and lose that. ATMs make it way too easy to get money to lose."
Delegate Tom Azinger, R-Wood, said there's no need for ATMs inside the establishments.
"When they go in there in the first place, they obviously have money. When they lose what they have, they get more out of the machines, then lose more money," he said. "The winning percentages there are terrible. It promotes an unhealthy activity."
Also in favor of the ATM ban is Delegate Bill Anderson, R-Wood.
"I'm in favor of keeping them out. For all these people who have gambling problems, everything we can do as a state to keep them from being able to clear out their bank accounts right there we need to do," he said. "We need to delay that as much as possible to protect people from themselves."
Placing ATM's in lotto places only makes gambling worse? Ok, so gambling is a problem.. let's not fix it, let's just move ATM's away fr mthe places, cause as we all know NO ONE can drive to an ATM right?
CHARLESTON - Local legislators agree with bills banning ATMs in video lottery establishment.
Sen. Frank Deem, R-Wood, is a "tax on poor people" and having an ATM nearby only fuels problem gambling. He cosponsored a bill on the Senate side that would make it illegal to put ATMs in video lottery establishments.
"Video lottery machines take food off the table for a lot of people," Deem said. "I would do anything I could to restrict the presence of video lottery machines. They pay for the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. scholarship, but that money should be taken from someplace else. People go in those places hoping to win big and they lose their money. They think `just one more time and I'll win.' Having an ATM machine there makes it too easy for them to lose money," he said.
A similar bill has been introduced in the House. Delegate Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, said he likes the idea.
"We don't want to make it any easier for people to lose money in those stupid (video lottery) machines," he said.
Gary Traugh, who owns video-lottery establishments, said the state can't take the moral high ground with regulations.
"It's hypocrisy. The state is the biggest villain. If they are worried about people, they would cut the state's portion (of profits) and to raise the payout percentage so the player gets more money," he said. "The state takes about 52 percent of all profits and if I make any money, I have to pay tax on that. Who makes money on video lottery? The state. I'll tell you who does not make money, the owner and the player."
Traugh said banning ATMs from the establishments will do little good for problem gamblers.
"I would rather see a law that says you can't spend more than so much money an hour. Give them a limit, just like you are only allowed so many drinks in a bar," he said.
The house version of the bill, H.B. 2351, would not only prohibit ATMs, it would do away with video lottery altogether by making all permits expire in 2011. At that point, only fraternal and veterans organizations would be able to have permits renewed.
It's a case of legislating common sense, said Dan Poling, D-Wood. Yet, a ban on nearby ATMs can help prevent recreational gambling from becoming problem gambling, he said.
"I'm for it. People go to the video lottery and when they start playing, it's recreational," he said. "That's the way they start out. If they bring in $20 and lose that, they go on. With an ATM, they can get cash right there and lose that. ATMs make it way too easy to get money to lose."
Delegate Tom Azinger, R-Wood, said there's no need for ATMs inside the establishments.
"When they go in there in the first place, they obviously have money. When they lose what they have, they get more out of the machines, then lose more money," he said. "The winning percentages there are terrible. It promotes an unhealthy activity."
Also in favor of the ATM ban is Delegate Bill Anderson, R-Wood.
"I'm in favor of keeping them out. For all these people who have gambling problems, everything we can do as a state to keep them from being able to clear out their bank accounts right there we need to do," he said. "We need to delay that as much as possible to protect people from themselves."