Michael McDowell wants all casinos shut down

Saruman

Im sure everyone has heard about this.
Not sure if its just a stunt or what.

Anyway why are Casinos illegal here?? I mean you can place a bet on anything in this country... go to bookies (one on every corner) and gamble.. why are casinos illegal??
I think it would be great to have some Vegas style casinos (not on as grand a scale of course).
Tourism boost, economy boost, jobs boost.. hell even tax boost for the government.. whats wrong with that.
I dont care myself as i do not gamble other than the odd lotto ticket but i like the Casinos in Vegas.. there is more to do than gamble!!

Goodluck2me

there is no need to open casinos as such though sure as you only need to have a gentlemans club and you can do everything else...

MadsL

Any links for McDowells comments?

Saruman

Just google it.. there are plenty of them. It was all over newspapers and radio news etc.. probably TV too.

hotspur

And anyway Minister for Justice or not Fianna Fail are the dominant party in government and I've heard from a FF source that it will all be regulated by the end of 2006, so no need to contemplate dingy illegal card rooms where you could lose your kidney in a game!

DubTony

hmmm ... poker for body parts ... interesting. I could stop reading that spam about how to get a bigger ...

eh

never mind

TheVan

Saruman wrote:

Michael McDowell wants all casinos shut down

You say that like it's a bad thing?

Marq

TheVan wrote:

You say that like it's a bad thing?

Can you give me three good reasons why it's not a bad thing?

Saruman

TheVan wrote:

You say that like it's a bad thing?

By that logic all betting shops should be shut down.. all form of gambling... gone.. no more lotto or scartchcards... great point there

Like i said I have never gambled in a casino, never played poker and have no intention of doing so.. however i do see the merits of it.. i mean for feck sake.. Vegas, like California has one of the biggest economies in the world... ahead of many rich countries and its only a City with a population similar to Dublin!!

If people want to pour their loose change into slot machines or play a game of poker then let them!!! Once its regulated it will be grand.. or should be anyway

Hell they could even do it like the lotto where a certain percentage of the profits (and there will be profits) goes to charities

TheVan

Saruman wrote:

By that logic all betting shops should be shut down.. all form of gambling... gone.. no more lotto or scartchcards... great point there

Well actually it is a great point. That's the problem with logic. It deals with black and white with no grey areas.
Casinos and indeed betting shops are designed to pull people in, to create an addiction and to take people's money.
Having said that casinos are worse than betting shops for the problem, but they are bad.

Obviously Mary in the local shop isn't designing the layout of her shop to convice you to develop an addiction to Winning Streak cards.

I'll leave you with this...
A federal study in the USA concluded more than 2.5 million adults are pathological gamblers, and another 3 million adults are problem gamblers.

This study was initiated, not because people play lotto cards, but because of concern over casinos.

So yes, good point from me.

Saruman

Actually you are wrong about mary Of course she desings her shop in a way to make you buy something you would not buy otherwise.. i mean every shop i have ever been in has sweets for the kids at checkouts and.. you guessed it.. winning streak and other scratch cards for the adults (or vice versa ) If her shop is big enough.. then a bakery will be at the entrance to make you hungry and buy more than you went in for.

Anyway i still do not see a problem if its regulated... Vegas is but not as much as it would be here... This is Ireland, the land of regulations. At the moment though its a double standard.. either ban all gambling or allow it in a regulated form...

Lafortezza

TheVan wrote:

I'll leave you with this...
A federal study in the USA concluded more than 2.5 million adults are pathological gamblers, and another 3 million adults are problem gamblers.

This study was initiated, not because people play lotto cards, but because of concern over casinos.

So yes, good point from me.

Link please.

Victor

It might have more to do with money laundering than gambling.

OilBeefHooked2

Victor wrote:

It might have more to do with money laundering than gambling.

Yes most likely that is his reasoning but why should the majority of law abiding people who enjoy playing cards and other casino games be punished because of a small few. Its not possible to legislate for cheats.

Dub13

MadsL wrote:

Any links for McDowells comments?

GAMING clubs in Ireland are to be closed down under plans by Justice Minister Michael McDowell.

Mr McDowell has warned some clubs operating under the guise of private members’ clubs were essentially casinos.

He said: “Casinos are illegal in Ireland. All commercial clubs where unlawful gaming takes place are illegal in Ireland.

“A number of places now are posing as casinos under the rubric of private members’ clubs and it’s my intention to make sure the law is fully enforced against all of them.

“They are all illegal. I’m going to close them all down, by using the law and amending the law if necessary.”

His response came in relation to a report on money laundering in Ireland by an international expert body.

The Financial Action Task Force said it was a matter of concern” that private gaming clubs which operated casino-like facilities were not included in anti-money laundering legislation.

Ireland’s 1956 gambling act effectively prohibits the types of gaming carried out in casinos.

An inter-departmental review of the act completed in 2000 backed the position that casino-type gambling should not be provided for.

But the Minister’s plans will come as a shock to private gaming clubs.

One said: “We are a private members’ club, and as such we are happy we operate fully within the law.”

Gaming clubs operate as members’ clubs, under which everyone entering them becomes a member.

Most do not charge a membership fee. There are estimated to be more than 10 such clubs in Dublin and at least two in Cork.

s10

Ive been passsin by the fitz just across from the esb every morning at 7am
& there are at least 3 ppl out smoking every time.These ppl have prob been there all night, maybe they have daytime jobs, but i
wouldnt like to be the child from that family,
I think your being upset over this shows your addiction and inconsideration for the sad gits who spend their lives looking for that elusive win.
There is a reason that there is a bookies on evey corner....
Im all for it , no good can come from it.
Close the casinos/private clubs/ damn while ur at it shut down the strip joints too.

Dub13

S10,

While we are at it why don't we close all shops on Sundays it would be like the "good old days".I think you being upset over this shows your closed backward mindset.

s10

i personally never thought id never get addicted to smoking,
but im not addicted i just don't want to stop, yet.
If i got into the habit of going to these clubs after the pub (say 4am tilll 7am saving a few pence by avoiding the nightlink) sure wheres the harm .
the irish known for being drunks and gamblers

Dub13

You cant compare playing poker to smoking.Poker is a hobby to some a job to those who are very good at it and most of all a great social outlet.Smoking will kill you in the end simple,smoking will harm your health and if you chose to do it thats fine with me once you are an adult.

are the irish not known for being drunks and gamblers

Some Irish people do have a problem with drink and gambling.So in your ideal world we would just ban them and be done with it.

Some people drive to fast will we ban cars and save lives.

Some people eat to much fatty foods,lets ban them to.

Sounds like a dictatorship to me.Whatever happened to freedom of choice.

ollyk1

s10 wrote:

Ive been passsin by the fitz just across from the esb every morning at 7am
& there are at least 3 ppl out smoking every time.These ppl have prob been there all night, maybe they have daytime jobs, but i
wouldnt like to be the child from that family,
I think your being upset over this shows your addiction and inconsideration for the sad gits who spend their lives looking for that elusive win.
There is a reason that there is a bookies on evey corner....
Im all for it , no good can come from it.
Close the casinos/private clubs/ damn while ur at it shut down the strip joints too.

How do you know they have families?

How do you know they have or need day jobs?

How do you know they are losing money?

How do you know that they can't afford to lose money?

How do you know that a guy who is playing poker all night and enjoying himself is a sad git when you are the one going to work at 7am in the morning?

There are some problem gamblers and if they want to gamble they can do so as much as they like online and you'll never be able to stop it, so your proposed response is to ban casinos (where the manager will often suggest people take a break when things are going badly) to drive these people underground or online and into the arms of unsavoury characters - that makes very little sense.

iBoT

ollyk1 wrote:

How do you know they have families?

How do you know they have or need day jobs?

How do you know they are losing money?

How do you know that they can't afford to lose money?

How do you know that a guy who is playing poker all night and enjoying himself is a sad git when you are the one going to work at 7am in the morning?

exactly he is talking thru his arse, im probly one of those people you see, i dont have a job , i dont have kids , i dont lose money overrall and quite enjoy staying up to 8 am playing poker. But even i did have kids, a job or lose all the time it still would be my choice to do so.

Dub13

S10, (if thats your real name)

I have often been standing outside the card clubs late/early,I have a Job,I have a mortgage,I have Kids,I have car loans etc etc.None of this effects me playing poker or me playing poker does not affect my other commitment's as I would not let it happen.

Would you think I was a sad git if I was standing outside a pub in Temple Bar early on a Sunday morning pissed...?You should pop into one of the clubs anytime you could be surprised at what you find,poker players are an intelligent bunch and I can tell you the atmosphere is much better than in a Bar.

Waylander

" personally never thought id never get addicted to smoking,
but im not addicted i just don't want to stop, yet.
If i got into the habit of going to these clubs after the pub (say 4am tilll 7am saving a few pence by avoiding the nightlink) sure wheres the harm .
the irish known for being drunks and gamblers"

I always find it amusing when people speaking from a base of ignorance try to talk down to others. You have no idea what you are talking about S10. Yes gambling CAN be addictive, as can alot of substances, among them drink and cigarettes, at least one of which you have already admitted to enjoying on occassion. Also, the serious poker players are rarely if ever drunk at the table, it tends to effect concentration levels.

iBoT

yea i hate this whole poker is all gambling crap, quote for my mam and friends "your going to lose all your money" and another one "you need help you play to much".
If they dont play the game they will never understand or anyone who doesnt play for that matter, theres is a bit of skill in the game (alot actually)

i'm actually making a new rule for myself, no poker talk to non poker players from now,

no answering that famous question "how much did you win last night"

sorry for goin on a bit

5starpool

I think everyone should be forced to play poker at least once a month, especially people who would tend to lose a lot.

hotspur

Guys S10's profile says his hobby is:
"insulting ppl & looking at their reaction i think"

It's another example of someone cynically trolling and rendering idiotic a topic which ought to be genuinely debated, that being exactly what kind of legislation and regulation ought we to have about casinos, their licensing and regulation, ought we to have supercasinos with huge advertising for them for example? or ought we regulate it in the same way that bookmakers have been regulated for the majority of the past 50 years - satisfy existing demands but don't stimulate demand (the reason why bookies were so aesthetically repugnant and sparse for so many years was because it was a condition of their license not to be attractive and stimulate demand).