Do anarchists support the Republicans' anti-gambling bill?

[tedster]

So why do people feel the need to gamble? Why do casinos make huge profits?

Root of the problem, yo.

It's kind of like the lottery, it's a tax on the mathmatically inept.

[|Y|]

Hope. And dreams. But that's about it.

I can't say I don't play the lottery every now and again.

[Guest]

So why do people feel the need to gamble? Why do casinos make huge profits?

Root of the problem, yo.

It's kind of like the lottery, it's a tax on the mathmatically inept.

lol, math goes out the window the first time you get paid 350 for putting 10 down on 36 red - even though there's 38 positions on the wheel even though roulette has a built 5% house advantage, the excitement of the huge payoff keeps a crowd at the table.

there is one game in which the player can gain mathematical advantage - blackjack - as long as one plays using a combination of perfect 'basic strategy' and card counting. counting is legal but will get you thrown out of a casino. in a game of single-deck blackjack, the player can get an advantage of anywhere from 1% to 10% over the house.

there are also a lot of scams which work in casinos, but they usually involve a team of people. wheel clocking for roulette is highly effective (andm illegal) which is why big casinos now routinely scan you for electronic equipment which might seem out of the ordinary.

[|Y|]

I've actually made some serious money with Hold'em. But that's because the field has gotten significantly bigger these days and a lot of "newbs" want to play thinking that because they know "which cards are better" they have an advantage. It's also about calculating pot odds and payouts.

They have "banned" online gambling in the USA now, but like that's going to stop anyone.

Oh, and I read the deregulation in UK next year is going to allow wheel clocking to be "legal." That is if someone is caught doing it they won't go to jail or anything. Here's a link, pretty funny and going to seriously put roulette out of business in the UK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/gambling/stor ... 10,00.html

[gonzo joker]

Poker and horse racing are inherently different from other forms of gambling, like slots, casino table games, and the lottery.

The poker and horse player is playing against the other players - if s/he is better than the other players by a wide enough margin to overcome the rake, s/he is actually playing with a mathematical advantage.

when you play craps, roullette, the lottery, slot machines, etc., there is no way (aside from cheating) to swing the odds in your favor.

But to answer the original question, no true anarchist has any legit reason to support republican effort to stop people from engaging in any peaceful and consensual activity they choose.

The idea that all anarchists are against all forms of gambling is silly, too. Gambling games have long pre-existed authoritarian central governments, and will be around after authoritarian central governments have collapsed.

[gonzo joker]

As an aside, the above comments to not take into account the possibility of "wheel clocking" or other methods of trying to determine if a roullette wheel is biased, which I am very skeptical of, but which I am not entirely convinced are unworkable.

[Guest]

that device for clocking a biased wheel is interesting, but the same technique could be used against any roulette wheel using a few predictive algorithms. all you need is the speed and deceleration of the ball, the speed and deceleration of the wheel, a little positioning info (thank you, green zero), and a lot of real life data to munch on first.

also seems like all this could bu automated using video/chroma key technology, rather than having to manually clock.

just dont try to fit the computer in your shoe like these guys did lol:

http://www.amazon.com/Eudaemonic-Pie-Th ... 0595142362

[Zazaban]

Jesus christ this guy is an idiot. He seems to think he's pointing out obvious flaws, yet he fails to understand the most basic concepts of what he thinks he's arguing against. And he's bloody self-righteous about it too.

[libertariansocialist]

In an anarchist society how would gambling be stopped? There is no government which could enforce laws banning gambling. And how could profit be stopped? People are greedy by nature, how can you stop a guy from selling his slightly damaged ipod?

[Noleaders]

Simple, its slightly damaged so less people want it. If they do then hooray for them its just a voluntary exchange.
As for gambling, really who cares? Its people doing what they want with their possessions and with other freely consenting individuals, there's nothing unanarchistic about that.

[|Y|]

Why should gambling be stopped?

[Noleaders]

apparently cos people make profit

[thelastindividual]

apparently cos people make profit

OH GOD PROFIT!!!!!! CAPITALIST BOURGOISE SCUM!!!!!! VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zazaban]

apparently cos people make profit

OH GOD PROFIT!!!!!! CAPITALIST BOURGOISE SCUM!!!!!! VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DEATH TO THE POKER PLAYERS!!!! DAMN THE BLACKJACK DEALERS!!! THE CARD COUNTERS ARE GOING TO BURN IN HELL ALONG WITH THE DOMINATRIXES AND THE ALCOHOLICS!!!

[|Y|]

I can see gambling becoming a niche and no longer as common as it is (simply because the people who gamble the most are the poor, with the slight exception of highrollers who live to give away money).

As far as a business model I don't see it as very realistic.