Comment Text:
I begin with the observation that organized gambling tends to act as a tax on the poor, especially on those not well versed on figuring the odds. Governments should instead discourage gambling and instead seek to reduce inequality by taxing the rich to raise revenue. I believe that most organized gambling, inside or outside of casinos, on line or in person, should be illegal, but tolerated and not as in the past regarded as a matter for the police as long as it remains discreet and nonviolent.
Gambling on elections would be especially egregious, as (commercial) sports betting already is. Well funded organizations, such as La Cosa Nostra, could attempt to shift the odds in their favor through disinformation campaigns, which are more dangerous now than ever, to the great detriment of democracy.
