Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

Whether it's on a real boat, a fake boat or dry land, gambling is gambling. People play games, they bet money. Many, many lose. A few win. Floating down a river or across a lake, standing in a pond and pretending to be on a real boat or being planted on dry ground does not change the bottom-line fact. It's pretty much too late to debate whether gambling should make itself at home in Indiana. That was taken care of years ago. But it's not too late to debate how much money the state wastes chasing some fantasy about wherepeople gamble. Gambling is here. The debate now is how much gambling the state is going to allow, and what the gambling profits should pay for. There has been talk that the Indiana Gaming Commission might change its construction standards and allow casino-style machines in bars, restuarants and clubs - an expansion of gambling in the state. According to news reports, operators of the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City want to build more casinos without pretending they are building boats. They don't want their casinos to have to have motors, captains and crews, sea-going safety equipment and inspections for seaworthiness when the boat will never weigh anchor. (The odds may be better that you could win on the boat than that the boat will actually set sail.) The operators say the extra cost would amount to $40 million. But the question is not whether to continue the fantasy of water-borne gambling. The question is whether the state wants to increase its dependence on people's willingness to throw their money away.