**End SD gambling with cash. State-issued Gambling debit cards

In the past week or two of July, 2007, several SD blogs have been filled with speculation about another blog and another blogger and embezzlement from political consulting firm Hildebrand Tewes. Today, the Sunday, July 29, 2007 Rapid City Journal has a front page story titled "Blogger's theft tied to video lottery".

Read that story or almost any SD blog or online newspaper today for more details.

When you get done with catching up with all the gossip and sanctimonious prattle about Clean Cut Blog, Chad Schuldt, The missing $100,000, and Steve Hildebrand, you might consider what can be done by the State of South Dakota to reduce the social and personal damage and family tragedy that can result from gambling and gambling addiction.

This is not the first such case to hit the newspapers and when SD ran one of the biggest unintended social science experiments, the problems with legal gambling were writ large in the increase in sales tax revenue coming from grocery stores, clothing stores, etc and also from the crime statistics which showed a reduction of crime in a number of areas when a constitutional challenge shut down video lottery for a time.

So, let us end gambling with cash or personal checks in South Dakota. Allow gambling only with state-issued debit cards that can be "recharged" only at county treasurer's offices. The state can peal off its gambling blood money right off the top and forget about taxing the actual casinos until it gets around to taxing the income of corporations and partnerships. This solves a number of problems.

**Stay tuned, but you must remember that South Dakota legislators specialize in "solutions" that only seem to solve problems which involve any big "oxen" getting gored by legislation which actually works.--- Doug Wiken

Comments

[blawgzilla]

Another aspect to consider; Use the cards to keep the poor from gambling. If a person is on housing assistance or food stamps, no gambling for them!! owe child support, or IRS or school loans, no gambling !! In fact, why not require a credit check before allowing a person to gamble? if you got unpaid bills or havent paid your rent, NO GAMBLING !!! outstanding bad checks? no gambling,,,,I think we are on to something here !!