Mayor Booker Believes Gambling Is A Quality Of Life Issue

Newark is cracking down on illegal gambling in the form of electronic Keno style games. These used to be legal under an older ordinance but has now become illegal under the Cory Booker administration. The reason for this change in policy? Illegal gambling machines have long been associated with organized crime, at least this is what is reported by The Star Ledger. But this makes absolutely no sense. If you legalize gambling doesn't that bypass the problem of organized crime using this logic?

As we have learned from prohibition and the drug war, when you make something illegal it automatically creates a black market for that service or product which is impossible to quash as long as there is a need for it. I know the type of machines you are talking about and they are not gambling machines. The machine doesn't give you any money back. Yes, it is a game of chance but you can say that of some arcade games. Are we going to start banning arcade games because you are putting money in it to see if you can win, the same motivation behind playing one of these Keno style games.

The logic behind this kind of policy is twisted and self fulfilling. If you want there to be an association between gambling and organized crime then make it illegal and it will only be the organized crime members who can offer the service to others. If you legalize it then it will be the Trumps of the world that will offer it to the public.

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