Sports betting venues could be boon to Idaho
This is the last of a two-part series looking at the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that tossed out a 1992 law banning sports gambling in all but a few locations across the country.
Today we’ll look at how the court’s decision affects North Idaho and eastern Washington, and the potential long-term impact on the region.
By STEVE CAMERON
Staff Writer
When a subject like gambling comes up in Idaho, the citizenry tends to think the worst.
In fact, though, placing a bet on a football game is no different than buying a stock — except that your nest egg will go up or down in three hours rather than three years.
That’s the logic sitting behind the massive amount of money bet illegally on sports events in this country every year — roughly $150 billion to $200 billion, according to various gaming organizations.
You don’t need a degree in accounting to see how much cash is flying away, some of which could be nicely tucked into the coffers of any governmental entity that allowed, regulated and taxed sports betting.
That option became open to states on Monday, when the court threw out an old law banning sports bets — except in Nevada — and used the solid logic of states’ rights to conclude that each can determine its own legality.
OK, you’ll hear plenty of people claim they don’t want the evils of gambling lurking around every corner in Idaho.
I’m sorry, but any state that sponsors a lottery is not entitled to act afraid of a wager.
Face it, folks: Idaho is already in the gaming business, so the next question becomes: “Why not take advantage of legal sports betting, and haul off enough tax money for the state’s various needs?”
Or even to lower our current taxes?
Isn’t that the mantra of a truly conservative state?
No one is saying we should become Las Vegas, but there’s a reason Nevada has no state income tax.
Several states already have put the infrastructure in place to grab those tax dollars, and they did it because almost every legal expert predicted Monday’s decision by the Supreme Court.
Why should Idaho opt out of this free-money bonanza?
“I’m sure it will be discussed during the next legislative session,” said state Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene. “The possibility of adding to state revenue — taxing something that is totally optional to citizens — is worth consideration.
“There are difficulties, of course. Allowing (sports betting) would mean changing the state constitution, and that requires a two-thirds supermajority in the Legislature. So there would be some work involved.”
Souza also pointed out there is a large religious block in the state (mostly Mormons) that would object to any form of gambling, no matter what the benefit.
If a bit of common sense could prevail in the Legislature, though, the obvious answer in a state like Idaho is to remove the statewide ban, then pass a bill allowing each county to make an individual decision.
It doesn’t take much imagination to see what two or three sports betting establishments would mean to a tourist economy like ours in Kootenai County.
The sports betting locations would be a terrific complement to the luxurious hotel-casino complex operated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in Worley.
Frankly, Idaho should get into motion on this before we find sports betting become legal in Washington and plenty of our tax money whisking over to Spokane.
They get enough of our cash as it stands.
The bottom line here is that millions of people in the United States, including plenty of Idahoans, are going to place sports bets — regardless of local laws.
You could go online and make a bet on the Mariners this afternoon. Plenty of others will.
Given that reality, why not keep this ton of money at home?
We could use it.
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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press. A Brand New Day appears Wednesday through Saturday each week.
Email: scameron@cdapress.com.
Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA