|
With the political climate in the US becoming more conducive to online gambling, more
and more states are beginning to abandon the "no– to– gambling" ship and opening
its arms to this enjoyable and profitable venture. One of the most recent US states to jump
ship is Hawaii. The legislators in Hawaii have already begun pushing for the legalization of
online gambling in their state, mostly as a way to boost their tax revenue.
Sun and Sand are no longer enough
Hawaii has always been one of the best tourist destinations of the world. It boasts of
extremely beautiful beaches, complete with rolling waves, brilliant blue waters, and sparkling
sand. Many people see it as some sort of tropical paradise. However, in the face of today's
economic recession, tourism in Hawaii has steadily dwindled to a pitiful rate. While Hawaii
does have its own unique traits, it still offers almost the same things as the islands on the
Caribbean do. They're all "tropical paradises", really. The difference is that Hawaii has always
been anti– gambling, while the Caribbean has embraced it. As a result, the Caribbean has
long since profited due to the gambling industry, both land– based and online. It has also
established a much firmer base than the other parts of the world, making it into the highly lively
and successful area it is today. Hawaii, on the other hand, has not fared quite as well.
|
With tourism as its main source of income, Hawaii has suffered greatly from the recession.
It now sports a painful billion dollar budget gap – an amount that is certainly hard to patch up.
Some legislators are turning to online gambling as a potential source of revenue, thinking that
legalizing it will somehow save them from their current financial strait.
Quite a number of Concerns
However, the residents and some legislators in Hawaii have quite a number of concerns about the
idea of legalizing online gambling. They are afraid that this will be detrimental to Hawaii's
image as a family– friendly tourist destination. Indeed, Hawaii does have an edge over the
Caribbean when it comes to catering for families. But if they legalize gambling, this pristine
image might just be damaged. Another concern is that the local residents of Hawaii may suffer
from an increase in the rate of gambling addiction, thus leading to an increase in crime rate.
Indeed, this is highly possible. However, one must ask whether these concerns are really of
primary importance right now or whether there are other things that can be done to buffer the
ill– effects of legalizing online gambling. Hawaii certainly needs all the help it can
get right now, and online gambling might just be the answer to their problems, especially if
they can get around to distributing casino licenses.
|
