Iceland review - 2019, Page 34

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Iceland Review
gambling addict Guðlaugur Karlsson charged
the Icelandic state for damages based on the fact
that the state has a hand in the running of the slot
machines. The state was acquitted in court.
Bring the chips up on the table
Aside from the forms of gambling considered inno-
cent enough to pass, at least on the surface, illegal
gambling is believed to be on the rise in the country.
Casinos have been run underground for some time
now. Illicit bookie operations have also formed,
where individuals offer better odds than legal sports
betting operation Lengjan does. If illegal gambling
sounds like a dangerous sport to you, you’d be right.
Gamblers can run up quite the tab with dire conse-
quences. In 2015, three individuals were sentenced
to prison for running the underground casino
Poker and Play, which had made a profit of ISK 170m
($1.4m/€1.2m) for its owners. Online gambling is also
on the rise and Icelandic authorities have yet to find
an effective way to curb it.
Time for a full house?
If you can’t combat vices by banning them, what can
you do? Much like the efforts all over the world to
decriminalise drug use, there are some who want to
legalise casinos, including former MP Willum Þór
Þórsson. The way he sees it, a legal casino could help
uproot this underground industry, which has no legal
framework, as well as being positive for the tourist
industry. “I believe it would create a more mature
discussion on the subject. I think we’ve been hiding
our heads in the sand a bit and closing our eyes to
the thriving illegal gambling industry.” The plan was
to allow for one casino, which would house gambling
activities under a legal framework. Of the profits,
3% would go towards anti-gambling initiatives, and
the money raised by taxes would go towards society
rather than being “lost abroad” as on the internet.
While this would essentially be a similar operation to
the slot machines, a 2011 poll suggests the idea wasn’t
especially well received, as 68.6% of Icelanders were
very opposed or rather opposed to a casino in Iceland.
Willum advocated for the casino with two bills in
2014 and 2015, suggesting that the name be changed
from spilavíti (gambling hell) to spilahöll (gambling
hall). He was unsuccessful in his efforts. Meanwhile,
profits from the slot machines to the University of
Iceland rose 66.61% from 2015 to 2018.
Damned if you do…
While taxes on alcohol don’t stop people from
drinking and banning advertising doesn’t stop
people from smoking, there’s still the argument that
restricted access keeps the public health conse-
quences of these vices to a minimum. The question
remains – should slot machines, one of the most
addictive forms of gambling, be banned? Or should
we stop drawing a line between acceptable and
unacceptable forms of gambling? If the government
believes compulsory gamblers are an acceptable
opportunity cost, would allowing a casino not pro-
vide extra funding for public benefit? The funds that
the Red Cross, Search and Rescue squads, rehab
clinics, and the University of Iceland receive are
undeniably of benefit to the society. Surely, it’s bet-
ter that the profits go towards public benefit, rather
than into private hands. But at what cost?