Gambling & Poverty

One benefit of increased gambling is that it means increased revenue from taxation. Since many of our industries are now being exported, the creation of a new service industry helps create a new revenue stream for the Government.

Unfortunately, it is widely perceived that it is mainly the poorer elements of society that gamble -- those that are most desperate for the money that can be won are usually those who can least afford to lose what little money they've already got. (see The Guardian's article, "It's simple. More gambling means more child poverty" at http://www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/story/0,,2043578,00.html

But since none of them are likely to become major contributors to party funds, I'm sure this isn't much of a concern. Of course, as a stealth tax on the working class it also means that Blair and Brown can leave the middle classes alone so as not to jeopardise their votes in the next election.