Online gaming a step closer
Wednesday 2nd December 2009, 3:00PM GMT.
Preparations are being made for the creation of locally-based gambling websites
THE States paved the way for a Jersey internet gambling industry yesterday when Members unanimously approved the establishment of a Gambling Commission.
Following the landmark decision, a debate on e-gaming legislation will be held next year. Such legislation would enable people to tap into a new industry of websites running online gambling services, such as online poker and sports betting sites.
Several small jurisdictions, including Guernsey, Alderney, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, have already set up online gambling industries, leaving Jersey several years behind. Members approved the first step towards an internet gambling industry yesterday when they backed the proposal by Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean to set up the Jersey Gambling Commission to license and regulate the gambling industry – a move which was agreed in principle in 2005.
Senator Maclean said that the commission would also be a consultative and advisory body which would have a social responsibility to protect people from gambling addiction.
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So what? Is Jersey seeking to copy Guernsey, Alderney and the Isle of Man for no other reason that they are there? On line gambling, porn and dodgy deals can be procured from anywhere. What special deal does Jersey offer? A commission cost money, where is the payback?
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shame alderney, beat us to it, well done mr maclean,its only taken 4 years for the others to see the light.
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Does this mean we might get a casino here at last?
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They are probably testing the water, as they want to build a casino. Money laundering is all casinos are good for. SNAFU!!
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“…the commission would also be a consultative and advisory body which would have a social responsibility to protect people from gambling addiction.”
Surely the best way our local “gambling commission” could protect people from gambling addiction is to not allow it on our soil in the first place!
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I’m surprised this has taken so long, the States have been gambling with our money for years!!!
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This is a wrong decision, overturning years of just debate in the States, that rejected the forming of a gambling industry foothold in Jersey. Gambling preys on the vulnerable and enriches the few on the darker side of legality and morality.
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this was of coarse was a commercial decision.
Does gaming serve society is questionable.
If it does there is very little return.
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@ Fubar #4
“…Money laundering is all casinos are good for…”
Absolute rubbish! Care to show any proof of this? care to prove that any well-regulated casino is any worse than any other predominantly cash business?
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I had the misfortune of working in the financial control dept of one of the big spread bet/contract for differences online operators in London. An operation which is little different to online betting. You should have seen the number of charging orders we put through to reposess peoples’ houses to pay off the debts they had incurred. Online gambling is not that far removed from that sort of operation. Personally I am indifferent but you do need to realise that a lot of people wreck their lives via this sort of self-medication.
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Mike/Realist. I seem to recall the Royal Family being keen on horse racing, with the dear old Queen Mum keen on having a flutter. Do they need protecting from addiction? Are they vulnerable? Or are they different/better than me?
Isn’t it a bit patronising to say what people should or shouldn’t be allowed to do with their spare time and money?
If you hadn’t noticed, the Island is awash with bookies, has a race course with a tote, course bookies and crown n anchor. Don’t forget the two or three venues where you can play poker. Plus the internet already allows gambling on literally anything from the comfort of home. Finally, what are hedge funds if not complex gambling mechanisms? The gambling industry already has a firm foothold!!
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Face facts, the island is facing a structural annual deficit that could run as high as 20% of the current annual budget.
The island cannot borrow and the rainy day fund would vanish in a few years at that rate.
Berthing super yachts, offshore gambling, etc are now just straws being clutched at while thirty years of maladministration of the island finally come home to roost.
From ‘Money coming out of our ears’ to completely bust in three decades!
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Jersey people have been able to tap into the thousands of websites running online gambling services, such as online poker and sports betting sites for many years, and they play regularly. They are making it sound like they are giving something to the people of Jersey, but they are not, they are trying to get in on the money that is made from the licencing of online gambling. Alderney is doing a very good job of it. What this means is new jobs in Jersey for the operators of online gaming brands, however it is unlikely to be Jersey people who will benefit from the new jobs as specialist trained people will be needed for these positions, and there are thousands of them around UK and Europe that will come and fill the jobs. So don’t get excited, they are not offering the people of Jersey anything new, just the usual greed of trying to make money cos they have wasted so much and the coffers are running dry. I wondered why Jersey was at one of the major online gaming Conferences last year in an official capacity, that explains it.
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Pip @12.
You just hit the jackpot. Well said. We need a second industry, a real industry.
Jersey sits amongst world class tidal flows maybe tidal energy would be a better bet. The tourist hve gone, let us farm our sea.
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Eaine @13
Ditto to my post @1 & 14. Online gambling will provide jobs and profits, but not for the people who matter, the people of Jersey.
Well said. Think twice, put Jersey first.
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A fool and their money are soon parted !
gambling’s as good a way as any for this to happen.
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11. J-Cat
I agree – there is already a gambling industry here. A Gambling Commission will be set up to regulate it, which can only be a good thing.
As for gambling preying on vunreable people, the same can be said for alcohol – vunreable people are more likely to get addicted…
Sow hat’s the answer? Ban all pubs/clubs/bars? I don’t think so!!
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“Surely the best way our local “gambling commission” could protect people from gambling addiction is to not allow it on our soil in the first place!”
Someone has told me of this thing called the INTERWEB. I don’t believe in it myself but apparantly you can play poker with other people all around the world all the time on it. It’s something to do with computers. Anyone heard of it?
Oh dear, must have a lie down.
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Give us a Casino!! I know some people find these establishments immoral. They are no more immoral than forcing residents to live in extortionate, damp bedsits for 11 years
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What we need to do is to turn ourselves into a European Las Vegas; scrap all airport landing charges (and have a separate terminal), lower tax on alcohol, bring back cheap booze. Turn that old holiday camp into a big, low budget gambling palace and fly in loads of the working classes from places like Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London etc at bucket shop prices.
Bus them from the airport to Plemont and they can have a short break with all-in food, booze, strippers and karaoke. Throw in line upon line of fruit machines with the temptation of a £500,000 jackpot, blackjack and roulette, crèche for the kids, a duty free shop, fantastic!
We will not ever need to suffer their presence in St Helier or anywhere else. At the end of their stay we can bus them all straight back to the airport hopefully much the poorer but with enough happy bunnies to keep them coming back. we could be the stag and hen party capital of the world!
The major hotels can all have up market casinos to attract high-rollers, with shows attracting major acts. No gambling tax on winnings (except 3% GST) and 20% on gambling company profits that cannot be avoided by non-resident shareholders. People will flock in from all over Europe; this is a serious solution to our fiscal problems; it will end our over reliance on the finance industry. The tax take will increase dramatically and reduce the need to burden the local population with punitive taxation, in fact we might even get away with no personal income tax at all.
Think of the increase in GST take alone! Lets do it before someone else does it first.
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Her late Majesty left an overdraft (a posh word for debt) of more than £4,000,000, according to her official biographer, William Shawcross*.
Now that really was an addiction to gambling!
["Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: the Official Biography" - William Shawcross, pub MacMillan, 2009]
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I think that the day of the physical casino may be drawing to a close.
Online gambling at any time is available on the Internet.
Jersey missed the boat on this one a long time ago.
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Elaine @13, Mark @15 – you say this might offer jobs but not to Jersey people. Can you elaborate? 1,000+ unemployed in Jersey, what sort of jobs do you want?
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@11, 17, 18:
Of course people can choose to gamble wherever they like, people can also choose to do a lot of other things that may not be especially good for them. Whatever, it’s their choice.
I just find it a little ironic that we’re setting up a commission to facilitate the very thing it will also have a remit to protect people from.
If people want to go elsewhere to gamble then that’s fine, but do we really want to encourage an industry that profits from those who lose, and that preys on the vulnerable, so set up shop in our back yard?
Let’s be honest, we’re all vulnerable to gambling or nobody would ever do it – some are just more vulnerable than others.
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24. Mike
Yes, I agree, we are all vunreable, adn some more than others. However, we are also vunreable to alcohol, and again, some more than others.
Is the answer to ban all pubs? I don’t think so.
We are all vunreable to many things that are not good for you, but we cannot get to the point where it is all banned because a few people can develop a habit. If that happens we are living in a complete nanny state. And then where do we draw the line? Do we ban fish and chip shops because cholesterol is bad for you?
What I am arguing is that a Gambling Commission will regulate something that is already present in Jersey and make it safer – it will also provice support for those who do become addicted. Anyone can already gamble on the intrnet/in the bookies, etc – but there is nothing regulating it at the moment, and no help if someone gets in trouble…
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@Mike #24
“…but do we really want to encourage an industry that profits from those who lose, and that preys on the vulnerable…”
The same argument could be levied against, tobacconists, off-licenses, sweet shops, plastic surgeons, cinemas etc. etc.
Would you ban all of the above too?
If some people are specifically vulnerable to gambling, then ban them, specifically, from taking part and let the rest of the adults live their lives reasonably freely.
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Doreen@23
To try to elaborate more to your question Doreen, Like robroy @10, I also had the misfortune to work in online gaming for many years. (not the same line as robroy states, but its similar) Most of the online gaming companies (by no means all) are owned by Israeli’s. They are agressive in business, and the staff have to be too. All of their websites that target the UK market will have a footnote about responsible gambling etc etc, DO NOT BELIEVE A WORD OF IT! They do not want you to gamble responsibly, they want your money. I have been standing behind one of these operators after declining any more bets from a problem gambler, when the boss phoned the guy and offered him $20,000 loan into his poker account. This was to a guy who told me he wanted to stop, begged me to ban him, which I did. The gambling comission will check emails and records of live chats, but not the personal calls from the boss’s mobile phone. So, the gambling comission is a load of tosh to be honest. Staff are trained how to get more money out of punters, but with it looking good and legal. I don’t think many people in Jersey would have had this kind of training, being as online gaming jobs on the island will be new, therefore these companies will not pay to train you, they will bring their old faithfulls who will do as they are told, for high comissions. I hasten to add I do not work in this profession any more, it sickens me. I am not anti gambling, I believe in freedom of choice, however, when someone begs to be banned as he has serious debts, then that should be what happens, but it doesn’t. Hope this gave you a slight insight into how it works, and why the majority of Jersey people would not get jobs in that sector. P.S. I signed a condfidentiality agreement for 5 years which means I cannot disclose who these companies are that I refer to, nor any other sensitive information. The example I gave you is true, but I cannot elaborate on it.
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So Jersey is going to import yet more people to work in an industry that from 27 – who seems to know what they are talking about – is a rather nasty industry.
Well done the States -again
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@Anna G #25 & J Lamborrari #26:
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on how banning alcohol and tobacco could possibly be BAD for society! LOL
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@Anna G #24:
“What I am arguing is that a Gambling Commission will regulate something that is already present in Jersey and make it safer – it will also provice support for those who do become addicted. Anyone can already gamble on the intrnet/in the bookies, etc – but there is nothing regulating it at the moment, and no help if someone gets in trouble…”
I agree entirely, and if that’s all the commission was going to do I’d be happy. That, however, is a footnote to the primary purpose of the commission, which is to allow and encourage gambling companies to operate from Jersey.
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Keep them out, people have enough temptations in their way as it is. Encouraging people to gamble to make up tax shortfall is wrong in my honest opinion.
It is time to diversify into good honest businesses like green power and other such likes. Why jump on the same band wagon as all the others?
If what Elaine says is true, which I see no reason why it shouldn’t be, then this is a very good reason to kick this into touch.
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@ Mike #29
“…I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on how banning alcohol and tobacco could possibly be BAD for society!…”
Seriously? Okay: I happen to enjoy the occasional drink, as do the vast majority of the people I know; to ban alcohol would take a pleasure away from me and all those other people with no good reason. Personally I don’t smoke, so banning that wouldn’t directly effect me, however, I would use the same argument if I was a smoker, and I would fight for that principle even in cases where the particular subject didn’t impact me directly.
I notice you don’t question my mention of sweet shops, cinemas or plastic surgeons; if you ban one thing on a principle, you must surely apply that principle elsewhere, you can’t cherry-pick and claim to be fair.
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A casino in Jersey?
Would it be an exclusive club for the rich or would they be happy to rub shoulders with us peasants?
Would there be any other entertainment available within the complex, a la Vegas, such as cabarets or the like?
Would alcohol be free whilst gambling, a la Vegas…..this could be a problem in itself?
What kind of underworld types would this business attract?
Contrary to what you believe Mr Lamborrari the gambling industry is fraught with shady characters…..Las Vegas was built up by the mafia.
I agree with no.4 to some extent. A cash heavy business is a perfect front for money laundering….not the best industry to have working closely within a large Finance industry. Will the casinos be regulated as strictly as a bank would? Would they participate in KYC before accepting tens of thousands of pounds in cash to gamble? I highly doubt it! Easy, pay in £20,000 cash “intending” to gamble, don’t bother, then cash your chips for a nice casino cheque and claim it was “winnings”….simple! What about “gamblers” just coming off the boat/plane with cash to spend…..will the casinos refuse them until KYC approved? No!
Call me cynical but I believe there is an ulterior motive for the states suddenly decided this may be the way forward!
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Its higher GST or new revenue streams, let the people with higher morals than me pay higher taxes.
We will have to develop new industries that some will find distasteful, we cant have only farming on Jersey and expect to lose no services.
I would rather pay less tax thanks and still have a health service.
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J. Lamboarrari, re people choosing pleasures. The trouble with addictions (and different people have different “weaknesses”) is that choice is not the option you make it out to be.
I suspect that if I asked you if you could, you would say “I could give up drinking if I wanted, take it or leave it.” I wonder how true that is, for you. For some, it is almost impossible. They’re called alchoholics.
Drinking is a problem indirectly for the public because of the adverse health consequences it can cause (as well as public disorder), but it largely goes unnoticed as a problem for many since unlike smoking it doesn’t affect to such an unavoidable degree when in its presence. If someone said, let’s ban drinking and smoking, I’d back them as I think it’s probably in society’s net best interest much as I also like a drink (and think I could go without too!). However, the smoking ban I can see being treated slightly differently …
Because smoking kills (or cuts short the life of) a heck of a lot more people than alchohol. And, my problem with this is that people aren’t choosing it, much as they like to think they are (those people who say “my right to a pint and a cigarette, one of my few pleasures” etc). The fact is, tobacco companies know their produt is a killer, and are bent on making large profits from it regardless of the consequences (the same can be said of the alchohol industry really). It is a highly addictive drug, moreso than alchohol.
So, defend the right of people to choose, but please make sure they are actually choosing before doing so …
As for gambling, as everyone notes, all we’re trying to do is get a slice of the pie. Anyone can gamble anywhere, anytime now.
Pandora’s box is open for business. First drink free.
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@ BS Deluxe #33
I hope to see it.
I hope it would be it would welcome all.
Entertainment venues within or alongside casinos would be very welcome, I believe.
Sounds great; I think the problem of the lost profit from alcohol sales is made up for by the customer loyalty, so it’s really a business decision.
I imagine there’d be some who’d try to cheat the honest businesses, some who’d try to pick-pocket punters; the same sort of low-life you get at any gathering or crowed public event.
“…Contrary to what you believe Mr Lamborrari the gambling industry is fraught with shady characters…”
All industries, organizations, societies have ‘shady’ characters; do you have any proof that the modern gaming industry is any worse than other areas, say the ‘on-shore’ finance industry, or the entertainment industry of Hollywood? What about the Catholic Church in Dublin; whiter than white??
“…Las Vegas was built up by the mafia…”
The Republic of France was built from the bloodshed of their revolution. Modern Britain from the invading forces of Normandy. The USA was built by people who thought nothing of killing the native savages and stealing their land… yet I assume you don’t have any problems with any of them? How Las Vegas was built hardly matters if today it is well regulated and successful model? or should we model ourselves on the aforementioned Catholic Church of Dublin, founded on charity and forgiveness… oh, and corruption and peadophilia?
Yes, there are ways to use a casino for illegal purposes, just as there are ways to use the finance industry, the building industry etc. etc. etc.
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@ Matt #35
“…The trouble with addictions (and different people have different “weaknesses”) is that choice is not the option you make it out to be….”
I’ve made no such observation, I recognise that some people can have addictions, but I don’t agree that the majority of people that don’t suffer an addiction should suffer the prohibition of something to protect them.
“…I suspect that if I asked you if you could, you would say “I could give up drinking if I wanted, take it or leave it.” I wonder how true that is, for you…”
Spot on, I could take or leave it; but I’d fight for the right to choose.
“…So, defend the right of people to choose, but please make sure they are actually choosing before doing so …”
Is this not my argument from the last paragraph of #26 above?
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Mike (no.35)
Banning alcohol…
They tried that in America once… I forgot how that ended…
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Here is my idea. It is brilliant.
Lets get someone to estimate how much revenue a Casino will bring in to the Sttes. Let’s say it’s £10m pa.
Then lets have a referendum but have it so that we record how people vote. If the referendum is passed, we have a casino. If it is not passed, each person who voted against it will have a surcharge put on his or her income tax to cover the loss of revenue.
So if 20,000 people voted against the casino, each one could pay £500 per year extra for the benefit of not living on an island with a casino.
In this way people could understand directly the cost of their decision and decide if they are willing to pay for their principles.
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Lets have state run gambling only. If we don’t allow private enterprise to get their fingers in the pie all those undesirables (mobsters, organised crime, etc)will not come here.
lets nationalise the bookies as well, how dare those individuals make money from our poor deluded gamblers.
The money made from these enterprises would drastically reduce how much taxes we pay.
The stupid gamblers end up paying for all of us that realise that gambling is a mugs game.
Everybody wins, Jersey becomes a gamblers heaven and I end up paying no taxes
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Here is my idea lets see who voted for those that brought in GST and make them pay all of it since it is their candidates that brought it in. The rest of us can carry on without the burden of GST.
It would probably be a fairer way of doing it as this type of candidate tend to be supported by the richer members of the island society who are much more able to pay a bit more due to the greatly magnified spending power. This would have the added benefit of making the more well off bare the costs of their candidates decisions.
PJG makes a valid argument I would keep private enterprise out as they will only cream off the profits leaving the island to sort out the mess left behind.
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J Lamborarri 36
“do you have any proof that the modern gaming industry is any worse than other areas, say the ‘on-shore’ finance industry, or the entertainment industry of Hollywood?”
I don’t have any physical proof….why would I?
I for one would love a casino over here as long as it is properly and strictly regulated. Even the UK has it’s concerns judging by this news item I came across:
“The “fit and proper” test which businessmen have to pass before being allowed a licence for a casino in the UK is to be replaced with a “modern” set of probity rules. The Government insists the new criteria, including the requirement that they do not have a “criminal conviction for a relevant offence”, will be tougher. But some MPs and casino operators fear the change to the licensing laws could make it easier for unsavoury overseas businessmen to set up casinos in the UK.”
Furthermore, I fail to see the relevance in your points about the formation of France and Modern Britain or even the catholic church to my comment about casinos being a notoriously shady industry. Please stick to the subject at hand.
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Adrian,
You miss the point – everybody pays GST and it was brought in to address a structural imbalance in our economy. There has not been one viable proposal to date that is an alternative to GST.
GST is slated to raise £45m a year. That is approximately £450-500 per man, woman and child in Jersey. Of course that is going to hurt, but its what pays for the nurses and teachers that you believe should be paid more.
Nobody needs to use a casino. But it seems ironic that the people who would not use a casino seem to be able to stop the Island raising tax revenues from those who would. Which is why the naysayers should put their money where their mouth is.
So Adrian, your choice; allow Casinos, pay £500 a year more tax or lift GST to 4%? Which do you choose? No, let me guess – you think everything can be paid for by half a dozen rich people who live in Trinity.
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I have offered alternatives to GST which would have had minimal impact on the vast majority and would have taken minimal resources if any to implement. Taking the cap of off social security was one such easy option that would have had minimal affect on those affected, i.e. earning about £38,000 p.a. and no effect on those below £38,000.
The cost in manpower would have been zero as far as I am concerned and wouldn’t have placed an unnecessary burden on customs who have more than enough to do fighting crime instead of wasting their time messing around checking to see that Joe Public has paid 3% on their imports if over £400.
The states CoM as far as I am concerned have gone down the route of maximimum disruption and cost to the inhabitants of the island for probably no greater return than I and others could have engineered through alternative avenues. For this very reason I have no confidence whatsoever in the CoM to see the island right in the hard times ahead.
I feel you are missing the point that GST affects the lower earners a lot more than the top earners. Unfortunately those who haven’t experienced economic hardship have a hard time realising what the consequences of these policies are for the average person in Jersey.
How can a multi-millionaire really appreciate what it is like to live on the breadline? What is 3% to them on food prices? In reality nothing. However to someone on £100 a week pension this can be the difference between balancing the books and going under.
As per the structural imbalance this has occured due to mismanagement of the economy as far as I am concerned plus an inability to spend within their means. Both unfortunately were caused by the type of candidates you seem to rate so highly.
If you think there are only a half dozen or so rich people in Trinity you are mistaken. If I remember rightly there are over a 100 1.1k’s in Jersey. That is without taking into account any local rich etc.
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@ BS Deluxe #42
“…I don’t have any physical proof….why would I?…”
You state that the gaming industry is fraught with shady characters, I just assume that if you’re going to make such definitive statements you’d have some evidence; obviously I assume too much in this case.
My point was that just because an industry, organisation etc. has a notorious history, doesn’t mean that the same is true of it’s present.
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@ Adrian #44
“…Taking the cap of off social security was one such easy option…”
As I understand it SS contribution specifically go to fund SS contributory benefits, therefore simply removing the cap would not be an alternative to GST which goes to the general income of the States; the law would not allow SS to fund teachers salaries for example.
Those on Income Support have received increases in the benefits that are designed to counter GST, so they are in theory no worse off.
I’ve experience economic hardship, yet I don’t see GST as unfair; I don’t expect somebody who’s wealthier than me to support me just because he can.
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J Lamborrari 45
I am not a regulator of the gaming industry, hence I do not have any physical proof…..do you have any evidence to categorically dismiss my statement?
I do read history, listen to the news and have been to Las Vegas and spoken with locals who know the casino’s well. Would you consider that enough evidence or would you prefer it if I donned my deerstalker and dragged Mr Watson along to investigate further for you?
Governments all around the world are only too aware about the high risk of organised crime involved in the gaming industry….a little snippet to enlighten you of a similar issue in Cyprus perhaps:
“International Organised Crime
Organised criminals target casinos because of the huge sums of cash. By owning or controlling the enterprise, they can do double book-keeping and declare false low earnings thereby paying far less tax and siphoning off the undeclared money. In addition, casinos provide an ideal vehicle for laundering ‘dirty’ money from other criminal activity. Casinos also provide a hub for other criminal activity, especially trafficking of drugs and people, often involving prostitution.
The bigger the casino opportunity, the more likely that the criminals attracted to it will be ‘big fish’ from outside the country. The international gangs are better organised, more sophisticated, better funded and far more ruthless and quickly take over or eliminate any local criminal control of casinos. Once embedded, they are notoriously difficult to root out.
So, the priority for government and law enforcement is to prevent criminals of any sort from owning or otherwise controlling any casino or from ‘setting up shop’ anywhere near a casino. Keeping organised crime out of gambling is a major headache for the authorities in countries that already have casinos. It would be a huge task for a small country such as Cyprus. Despite having a largely effective police force in Cyprus, it is the sheer scale of the new threat that would probably overwhelm their existing resources. A whole new approach, strategy and specially trained resources would be needed to combat the threat, long before any casino is allowed to open as the criminals will also have been very busy in advance.”
My opinion on this matter is not unique and is shared with a lot more people “in the know” than you or I so instead of trying to pick fights try to use some common sense. I don’t really care if you disagree because I know it is fact….and so do you….really.
“My point was that just because an industry, organisation etc. has a notorious history, doesn’t mean that the same is true of it’s present.”
Well please can you point out where you mention the notorious history of industry or organisations in this comment of yours… “The Republic of France was built from the bloodshed of their revolution. Modern Britain from the invading forces of Normandy. The USA was built by people who thought nothing of killing the native savages and stealing their land… yet I assume you don’t have any problems with any of them? How Las Vegas was built hardly matters if today it is well regulated and successful model? or should we model ourselves on the aforementioned Catholic Church of Dublin, founded on charity and forgiveness… oh, and corruption and peadophilia?”
I feel you may be getting a tad confused with the subject we are actually discussing
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Re: Doreen 23
An online casino is a computer. Yes we would need a power supply, a building and a couple of people to tend to other physical need of the computer. Other employees will be at the end of a long fibre-optic cable; probably somewhere in the far east.
How do you see the online casinos helping the 1,000 unemployed you talk about?
A real job in Jersey? A big question with is not addressed by online gambling.
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#39 Quite a hilarious proposition. Plenty of taxpayers money has been spent on stuff none of us voted for so by your reckoning those who were against it should get a rebate?
Elaine #27, I don’t doubt your story at all. Where there is money to be made there are ways to flout (or just completely ignore) the laws. And, if we’re honest, people who are that hung up on making more and more money simply do not care how they make it, even if they do pay lip service to the regulations. Money can be every bit as much an addiction as gambling, alcohol and smoking.
I want to ask if your post was also suggesting that rather than creating jobs for the people already living in Jersey this industry will simply ask for licences to bring in their own people? Jersey does need more jobs but it doesn’t need more people.
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#33 “the gambling industry is fraught with shady characters” It’s not that I disagree with this statement but money laundering and shady characters are common (certainly in the UK) to petrol stations, minicab companies and limo hire companies. Everytime one industry has a crackdown these guys just move elsewhere.
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J Lamborrari in answer to you change the law then.
As per those on income benefits if you raise the level of payments you are causing an extra burden to be placed on the middle earners to make good this shortfall caused by GST. Thus your GST returns are being erroded due to these extra payments plus all associated extra costs to police it like extra customs officers and obviously layers of beaurocracy to run it etc.
Not an efficient, minimal impact way to run an economy is it?
I don’t expect the well off to support anyone because they can. However it would be good to expect everyone to pay their way regardless of who they are, excepting things like illness or incapacity which in a caring society wouldn’t be an issue.
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Elaine 27.
A very interesting comment…a real eye-opener.
Adrian 31.
Couldn’t agree more! It’s reassuring that there are sensible people like you out there.
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