The increase in taxes associated with the gambling industry in Australia cannot directly respond to the problem of gambling costs as well as to many social and moral issues. On the one hand, the increase in existing gambling taxes can lead to increasing the revenue source for the governments. Furthermore, the increased taxes can contribute to controlling and limiting the aspects of the gambling industry in order not to erode the community. On the other hand, the significant increase in gambling taxes is not directly connected with the problem of gambling addiction because the problems of gamblers will not be resolved if the taxes increase (Napthine Government forced to withdraw pokies tax bill, 2014).
It is important to note that casinos have moral obligations to the communities as any other businesses. While orienting to making profits, casinos should also meet the interests of the community in which they are built. Creating new job positions and contributing to the community’s employment rate, casinos are also the causes for increasing the rate of casino-related crimes, the rate of alcohol and gambling addicts, and the rate of bankruptcies and financial hardships. Many people in the community become the victims of the gambling industry, and their families suffer from debts, addiction problems, and crimes significantly (Fabiansson, 2010, p. 82).
As a result, casinos should develop strict policies to regulate their activities in order to reduce the negative impacts on the communities with limiting the possibilities to join the gambling machine.
The possible purposes of increasing the gambling taxes are the focus on more revenues and the necessity to keep control over the industry’s development. However, the proposed solutions cannot respond to all the social and economic issues associated with gambling in Australia. That is why, the initiative to lift the tax rate in order to receive more revenues and regulate the industry should be developed and implemented as the part of the complex programme to address the negative impacts of gambling on the community. The increase in existing gambling taxes should be discussed as only one step in this complex programme.
The supporters of developing the gambling industry and reducing taxes can state that individuals have the choice to gamble or not to gamble. In this case, gambling becomes the moral problem of the individual, but not a social problem. Nevertheless, this argument is rather weak because it is impossible to discuss gambling as the choice of individuals because the results of gambling affect the families and communities in the form of gambling addiction, alcohol addiction, depression, unemployment, and bankruptcy. The majority of those persons who spend their time in casinos try to find opportunities how to make money without making efforts or these people become gambling addicted (Fabiansson, 2010, p. 81).
From this point, the situation cannot be discussed as healthy, and it should be resolved at the social and governmental levels in order to protect not only gamblers but also their families from financial hardships and other negative results of gambling addiction.
References
Fabiansson, C. (2010). Pathways to excessive gambling: A societal perspective on youth and adult gambling pursuits. UK: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Web.
Napthine Government forced to withdraw pokies tax bill after Shaw signals he won’t support it. (2014).