As humans, we have the right to gamble, as it is an activity that people may voluntarily take part in, and it causes no harm or violence to others.
As such, we have to wonder why most forms of gambling have been illegal in Kansas for so long.
More importantly, what has changed this year that would cause the state to allow us to gamble in casinos? What has happened that would cause this activity, formerly considered a vice by the state, to be allowed and even desired?
The answer is simple: the anticipation of millions of dollars in new revenue for the state to spend. It is for that reason that the legislature and governor are willing to let the people gamble in casinos.
They changed their mind cheaply, too. The amount of revenue it is estimated casinos would bring to the state is barely more than one percent of the state’s total spending. Subtract from that the extra spending that even casino supporters concede the state will need to fix the problems some gamblers will cause.
It’s sad to realize the legislature and governor can be bought so cheaply.
We as humans have the inherent right to gamble. The legislature should not have to pass a law allowing this right, we should not have to gain a majority vote in order to exercise this right, we should not have to suffer huge expansion of government regulation to tell us where and when and on how many of what type of machines we can exercise this right, and we shouldn’t have to pay the state a huge chunk of casino revenue in order to exercise this right.
That’s what is perverse about gambling law in Kansas.