People are desperate to get their win, they have lost everything and still believe that magic hand or slot is right around the corner and resort to robbing, stealing, fraud and other means to obtain gambling funds (Nauman, 2006).
Gambling is illegal in most areas of the nation. Law enforcement is charged with arresting those that break the law. In states across the nation gambling rings have been broken up and slot machines, video poker machines and roulette tables have been seized. The place for law enforcement with regard to gambling is to crack down on it and not turn a blind eye when they are aware that is going on. The children who do not have food or clothing because of parent gambling issues often have no one to depend on without the law stepping in and helping to break that cycle.
Recently police in Massachusetts were questioned as to why they are aware there are gambling operations in their jurisdiction and they are not being closed down. One officer summed it up.
We have a lot more important things to spend our time on," said Bloomington Police spokesman Duane Moss. "We're only going to look into (gambling) if we get a...
When he was later caught he confessed he committed the robbery to obtain more funds to feed his gambling addiction.
This was a classic case of gambling and its victims.
Gambling is not a victimless crime. It takes down hard working family men, young adults, college co-eds, innocent children and costs the nation millions of dollars each year in prosecution costs and fraud.
The best thing law enforcement can do is be as tough on gambling as it is on other crimes so that it can begin to lose its grip on its victims.
References
Villa, Rod L. (2000) Corruption of police blamed on gambling.(Main News)
Manila Bulletin
____(2000) INTERNET GAMBLING:ROBERT J. MINNIX
Congressional Testimony
Nauman, Brett (2006) Against the Odds, Law. Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL)
Heberling, Michael (2002) State lotteries: advocating a social ill for the social good. (Reflections). Independent Review
