Maryland is a $#itty state

[generalben 0]

In case any of you haven't heard, there was a police raid on a poker game in Baltimore, Maryland Wednesday night.Here's the link to the article.http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/cri...story?track=rssIn case you can't access this link, go to this site, and type in baltimoresun.http://www.bugmenot.com/This will allow you to avoid having to sign up to online newspaper websites (thanks go to Paul Phillips for showing me this).I try not to complain about things, but I am really sick of the goverment trying to tell people what's good for them. I don't smoke or do drugs, but it's not mine or anybody else's business to tell others what they can do to their bodies. The same goes with prostitution or gambling. As long as something doesn't affect other people, like drinking & driving, let people do whatever the #ell they want to do with their own lives. It's time to get dumb state laws like this changed. This law is completely useless.Robert Williamson III spoke in this article, and I couldn't have said it much better. I'd love to hear others' opinions on this.

[Don Giovanni 0]

well i live in maryland and i agree that when it comes to gambling, this state sucks. but other than that im happy with the state of this state.

[JSHamm 9]

well i live in maryland and i agree that when it comes to gambling, this state sucks. but other than that im happy with the state of this state.

Plus it has duckpin bowling...that's +EV

[nosoul 0]

Why do they keep it illegal? Here's whyhttp://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/gambling...ts/a0029358.cfm

[BrantC 0]

well i live in maryland and i agree that when it comes to gambling, this state sucks. but other than that im happy with the state of this state.

Plus it has duckpin bowling...that's +EV

INDEED! Originally from MD and unfortunately they dont like the gambling....

[vvganeshavv 4]

I'm in Northern VA and it pretty much sux here too!!house game???????????????????????

[Don Giovanni 0]

Why do they keep it illegal? Here's whyhttp://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/gambling...ts/a0029358.cfm

that stuff is bullshit. stop letting them brainwash you.

[generalben 0]

Why do they keep it illegal? Here's whyhttp://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/gambling...ts/a0029358.cfm

This is not an attack on nosoul, just an attack on the article. It is foolish to think that because some people can't control their behavior when they gamble, the rest of the group must suffer. Must we make alcohol illegal because some people get addicted to it, spend all their money on it, and rob a liquor store to get more alcohol and money to buy more alcohol? The few outliers in the group are the problem and must be held accountable, not the group. We do not need government telling us we need them to protect us from our gambling demons. This is a stupid, stupid, useless law.

[nosoul 0]

Why do they keep it illegal? Here's whyhttp://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/gambling...ts/a0029358.cfm

that stuff is bullshit. stop letting them brainwash you.

It doesn't matter if they brainwash me (which they haven't), but that's the stuff the lawmakers look at when deciding to make something like gambling legal.I'm not saying the article's right or wrong. I'm just saying stats like those are the reason the lawmakers have a hard time making gambling legal. If they make it legal, and then the crime rate in their district goes up, they'll get blamed and get voted out. They won't take that risk.Until someone can disprove those stats, and prove that making gambling legal is perfectly safe with no side effects, then it won't happen.

[generalben 0]

Why do they keep it illegal? Here's whyhttp://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/gambling...ts/a0029358.cfm

that stuff is bullshit. stop letting them brainwash you.

It doesn't matter if they brainwash me (which they haven't), but that's the stuff the lawmakers look at when deciding to make something like gambling legal.I'm not saying the article's right or wrong. I'm just saying stats like those are the reason the lawmakers have a hard time making gambling legal. If they make it legal, and then the crime rate in their district goes up, they'll get blamed and get voted out. They won't take that risk.Until someone can disprove those stats, and prove that making gambling legal is perfectly safe with no side effects, then it won't happen.

The crime rate has gone up not because of the act of gambling itself, but because a few people who are incapable of controling themselves have made it go up. It is no different than people who can't control themselves with alcohol. I agree that because many of the lawmakers are @$$holes, it won't become legal. I don't think it is because lawmakers are using logical reason and factual evidence to support their claim. The despicable Focus on the Family groups, the Christian Coalition, and other degenerate fundamental religious groups who want to control peoples lives are contributing tons of money to these lawmakers, and they are enforcing their religious policies. It is a stupid, stupid, useless law that is hurting many people who know how to control themselves in gambling situtations.

[Pokerghost2 0]

i was a member of the owls club which got busted last night, luckily i wasnt there when it happened.that place getting busted is going to cost me a whole lot of money. worst part is they made me think it was legit.

[Don Giovanni 0]

i was a member of the owls club which got busted last night, luckily i wasnt there when it happened.that place getting busted is going to cost me a whole lot of money. worst part is they made me think it was legit.

was that place the one you were telling me about a while ago? good thing you werent there.

[Pickkleman 0]

I would have to agree with General Ben. Do you know how many people die each year from alcohol related issues alone? But yet is is legal. Do you know how many people die each year from tabacco? But yet it is legal. Although I do believe there are legit lawmakers out there, most are biased to whoever supports their causes....with CASH. So, saying that lawmakers make decisions based soley on crime rates, etc...well, it's sort of niave and foolish.

[Suited_Up 2]

Lawmakers are sheep.The end.

[nosoul 0]

I agree that because many of the lawmakers are @$$holes, it won't become legal. I don't think it is because lawmakers are using logical reason and factual evidence to support their claim.

That's pretty much it. One thing that article fails to look at is the daily population of those areas. If you take an area with a population of 100 people, then add something that causes thousands of visitors to show up every day, odds are the crime rate is gonna spike. I mean, would the crime rate change been any different if they had found oil there instead of placing casinos? Probably not. But good luck convincing your Senator of it.

[generalben 0]

I would have to agree with General Ben. Do you know how many people die each year from alcohol related issues alone? But yet is is legal. Do you know how many people die each year from tabacco? But yet it is legal. Although I do believe there are legit lawmakers out there, most are biased to whoever supports their causes....with CASH. So, saying that lawmakers make decisions based soley on crime rates, etc...well, it's sort of niave and foolish.

Thank you for sharing, Pickkleman. Thank you to all who have so far posted your thoughts. This is really an important thing to think about if you live in a state like mine. You have to understand that even a friendly, cheap home game you have going could never be 100% safe with these kinds of laws.This is a stupid, stupid, useless law that hurts innoncent people.

[agsa6079 0]

I would have to agree with General Ben. Do you know how many people die each year from alcohol related issues alone? But yet is is legal. Do you know how many people die each year from tabacco? But yet it is legal. Although I do believe there are legit lawmakers out there, most are biased to whoever supports their causes....with CASH. So, saying that lawmakers make decisions based soley on crime rates, etc...well, it's sort of niave and foolish.

If lawmakers were driven soley by cash, gambling would be officially recognized as America's Past Time. There is no other entity in America (besides drug dealing) that has that type of cash to throw around, and they do.Unfortunately for gambling proponents, the "in move" in politics is polarization. The extreme left and the extreme right are at odds moreso now than ever. The grassroots movement of faith based initiatives and bringing God back into our lives through political candidates is very powerful right now. The underlying sense of survival is what drives the issues of most politicians. Their sense of worth and being is driven by the office they hold; they have no desire to jeapordize this. If their constituents put them in place because of "Family Values" and their Christian views, they aren't going to budge for all the $ in the world. And the gambling lobbies spend a fortune every year working these guys.

[generalben 0]

I agree that because many of the lawmakers are @$$holes, it won't become legal. I don't think it is because lawmakers are using logical reason and factual evidence to support their claim.

That's pretty much it. One thing that article fails to look at is the daily population of those areas. If you take an area with a population of 100 people, then add something that causes thousands of visitors to show up every day, odds are the crime rate is gonna spike. I mean, would the crime rate change been any different if they had found oil there instead of placing casinos? Probably not. But good luck convincing your Senator of it.

This is very, very true. Higher population does follow with higher crime rates. Maryland does have both a senate seat and a gubernatorial seat up in 2006. I am very disgusted with Bob Ehrlich, but I want to find out now more on where Martin O' Malley stands on the issue before I immediately vote for him for Governor. Work needs to be done to change this stupid, stupid, useless law.

[eandreas 0]

It was only six or seven people who cared at all about prohibition, yet they made it known that they would vote lawmakers in or out based on that issue alone, and so for years we had crime run absolutely out of control to make those few happy. As long as you can scare people with statistics, gambling will be illegal. What makes it okay on indian reservations? Is it that most consider "those people" savages anyway, so who cares? Or that it's okay to act like a godless heathen, when you're amongst the godless heathens?

[agsa6079 0]

Not to be controversial, but it's not quite as simple as one might think. While I agree that banning gambling across the board is stupid, I don't think allowing it across the board is such a good thing either. Legalized gaming needs to be monitored and regualted to ensure fair play.To reach this level, States have to carefully weigh all the options, all the benefits and all the negative impacts. These are impacts beyond the immediate crime goes up, etc. I mean impacts like how are the States hiways going to be affected by the increased traffic and how much is going to cost to keep them up? Who will we get to oversee that fair play is ensured? How about the taxation issues, immigration issues, increased law enforcement, city services like sanitation, handling the sudden population increase caused by the thousands of employees who suddenly move into the area, and enviornmental issues to name a few.These are all very real concerns. In Biloxi, MS, these were some of the long term issues that were not considered at first, and it took them years to get right. While they had made tremendous strides forward before Katrina, it was a struggle for a while. Again, I'm pro legalization of some aspects of gambling. But to just throw up an article and say, "This law doesn't hurt anyone and is stupid" childish. If you played that game (someone here says they do), wouldn't you feel a lot better knowing there was an eye in the sky watching to make sure the dealer wasn't bottom dealing to help his partner out.

[nosoul 0]

Do you know how many people die each year from alcohol related issues alone? But yet is is legal. Do you know how many people die each year from tabacco? But yet it is legal.

And how many MORE died when it was illegal? That's why prohibition was repealed. And why tobacco is still legal. They learned their lesson. In how many areas is there an increase in crime due to a lack of gambling? Not too many.

Although I do believe there are legit lawmakers out there, most are biased to whoever supports their causes....with CASH. So, saying that lawmakers make decisions based soley on crime rates, etc...well, it's sort of niave and foolish.

Yes, they make their decision based on cash. If they get voted out of office, there goes their cash. If the crime rate goes through the roof on their watch, they WILL get voted out.I'm just playing Devil's advocate here. I live in Texas and it really bothers me that poker rooms are illegal. But I understand the other side of the coin as well. If poker were legal in Texas, how much of a hit would the Louisiana casinos take? Every time I went to Lake Charles, it seemed like half the players were from Houston. So I'm sure Louisiana is helping to keep poker illegal in Texas. Politics in this country is a very tangled web.

[nosoul 0]

It was only six or seven people who cared at all about prohibition, yet they made it known that they would vote lawmakers in or out based on that issue alone, and so for years we had crime run absolutely out of control to make those few happy. As long as you can scare people with statistics, gambling will be illegal. What makes it okay on indian reservations? Is it that most consider "those people" savages anyway, so who cares? Or that it's okay to act like a godless heathen, when you're amongst the godless heathens?

It's ok on Indian reservations because they pretty much make their own laws, to an extent. That's the bone we threw to them after our attempted genocide.

[agsa6079 0]

I'm just playing Devil's advocate here. I live in Texas and it really bothers me that poker rooms are illegal. But I understand the other side of the coin as well. If poker were legal in Texas, how much of a hit would the Louisiana casinos take? Every time I went to Lake Charles, it seemed like half the players were from Houston. So I'm sure Louisiana is helping to keep poker illegal in Texas. Politics in this country is a very tangled web.

In Alabama, Mississippi spends about $5million a year in lobbying fees to keep the indians from getting table games oin their bingo halls.m It is a tricky situation, one in whcih the consumer, as uauals, has no say so in his own choices.

[Pokerghost2 0]

Baltimore has other underground card clubs like eastern ave, and the orioles club, but after last night i think im done with that scene. strictly party poker now i guess. i just feel like there should be bigger priorities than taking down card rooms, and mens clubs. Dam u Arod!

[generalben 0]

Not to be controversial, but it's not quite as simple as one might think. While I agree that banning gambling across the board is stupid, I don't think allowing it across the board is such a good thing either. Legalized gaming needs to be monitored and regualted to ensure fair play.To reach this level, States have to carefully weigh all the options, all the benefits and all the negative impacts. These are impacts beyond the immediate crime goes up, etc. I mean impacts like how are the States hiways going to be affected by the increased traffic and how much is going to cost to keep them up? Who will we get to oversee that fair play is ensured? How about the taxation issues, immigration issues, increased law enforcement, city services like sanitation, handling the sudden population increase caused by the thousands of employees who suddenly move into the area, and enviornmental issues to name a few.These are all very real concerns. In Biloxi, MS, these were some of the long term issues that were not considered at first, and it took them years to get right. While they had made tremendous strides forward before Katrina, it was a struggle for a while. Again, I'm pro legalization of some aspects of gambling. But to just throw up an article and say, "This law doesn't hurt anyone and is stupid" childish. If you played that game (someone here says they do), wouldn't you feel a lot better knowing there was an eye in the sky watching to make sure the dealer wasn't bottom dealing to help his partner out.

I respect your opinion and thank you for taking time to post. I have no doubt you are referring to me with the "childish" comment, but I disagree. Yes, it is not an open and shut case, and there are many things to consider with legalizing gambling. This stupid, stupid, useless law needs to be thought over, though.Baltimore has one of the highest homicide rates in the country and has for many, many years. I am one who believes in following the law, and while this law is in place, I cannot fault the police for following through and doing their job. But I am angry that because of this stupid, stupid, useless law, many, many police, working on my taxpayer dollars, were spending their time arresting people for doing something that is not hurting others. Their time was not devoted towards crime that is of a serious threat to people's lives.In conjunction, no home game I play in is considered safe, and police could come and arrest me for doing something that is not hurting others, while their time could be spent on people committing vandalism, reckless driving, abuse, etc. This IS, undoubtedly and completely, a stupid, stupid, useless law.