Casino Attitudes in Different Parts of the World
America, Europe, Asia, Australia - each of these continents have historically developed their own unique attitudes to gambling. Indeed, the specifics of climatic and seasonal conditions established certain standards for casinos around the world.
All these regions, however, have something in common: in a certain historical period in each of them, the game was persecuted and now the states have been forced to make certain casino attitudes in order not to lose money and the national favorite leisure — gambling too!
Let's see various attitudes to casinos and gambling as the whole in different parts of the world that influence the future of one of the most sought after activities around the world.
Old Tradition European Casinos
European casinos are known to be the oldest in the history of gambling in terms of the official attitude and perception. The gambling continent like Europe has been dealing with the casino business from the Middle Ages till the present time. Though such activity was officially permitted only in the late seventeenth century, a lot had been done prior for making gambling widely allowed all around the world. The gambling houses here have undergone the transformation from the underground dens to the luxury palaces in the top capitals of Europe.
In most European countries, the casino is a state monopoly, that is, all profits go to the Treasury. From the money earned on excitements, pensions and other social benefits can be formed, and the company, which manages the business, can own more than thirty casinos across the continent.
The oldest gambling houses of Europe are situated in France and Monaco mostly. Casinos are owned by five private companies there, paying the state taxes based on their profits which is common for the oldest traditionalists countries.
USA Gambling Controversy
The most interesting is the fact that the attitudes towards gambling and casinos here have been changing since their emergence on the market. The same with the power and the authorities. The US casinos in the United States of America have changed many times in the history of the world gambling from a total ban to an absolute anarchy. Regulation of gambling shifted from the state government to specifically organized establishments like the American Gaming Association.
The issues remain controversial. At the beginning of the last century, the authorities used the casinos to revive the national economy after the Great Depression of the thirties. Then, the gambling organized crimes caused creation of the image of danger and evil, and the gangs appeared during the Prohibition era.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely erase the devil's reputation related to the casinos and gambling up till now. This speculation is regularly used by those who at some point want to ban a legal game which is out of their interest. The latest bans in the United States affected the online gaming that made a lot of funds pass off the state's pocket as a lot of tax-free funds. Of course, the governmental authorities sounded the alarm. Americans have always been very law abiding and sensitive to the tax dodgers. Remember the case of Al Capone, a famous gangster, gambling businessman and a boss of the Chicago Outfit?
For the time being, the United States are trying to hold the standards as the country with the largest number of legal casinos and gambling areas, though with the great difficulty, motivated by the Asian gambling cities of Macau and Singapore which make a huge financial competition.
Gambling in OZ
Australia is said to be one of the most gambling nations all over the world. Australians are positive and adventurous which also make special attitude to one of the world's most favorite activities like casinos and online casinos in this area. Australia represents the most powerful gambling market in the Southern Hemisphere. Everything is very cool here for gambling: legal casinos, top online clubs, betting and lottery, etc. There is a healthy competition between three casino monsters in Australia Star City, Crown Casino once owned by Kerry Parker and Jupiter.There are alos about fifteen smaller casinos in Australia.
However, the competition can only be described as a market phenomenon, since private companies that carry out gambling activities are selected by a special commission with the help of the tender. The taxation of the Australian casinos is verified and detailed, the state controls the process in each location with the help of special officials, who together with the casino employees participate in revenue calculation and take out the fixed payment for the state demands.
Today, the situation in Australia is much changed. Till 2013, when the head of the Australian Government was the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the attitude about online casinos and such gambling as slot machines has been formed. Now Australian players have some restrictions while play online pokies, which have recently become popular in this country. A lot of local players, namely at online casinos, are not available to play slots and other gambling games that are very popular on the Internet around the world. This fact disturbs the residents very much and they seek for legal spots to play pokies online elsewhere intensely.
The Government of Australia for a long time has also been showing dissatisfaction with the current state of the online casino industry: it is known that government treats online machines with suspicion. The root of the issue, however, is as follows: according to them, teenagers are playing in online machines at various sites in the global network. According to the Australian law, its is forbidden for the underage local players to play casinos of foreign operators online.
Despite the fact, in general, the industry of online gambling in Australia is developing locally. Australian providers tend to offer slot machines and other gambling to the players on a legal basis. As far as slot machines are concerned, they remain very popular gambling among the Australian online casino players, but the authorities, aware of this, are trying by all means to ban the players to 'chill out' at online pokies. It is also forbidden to play sports and poker on the web sites of foreign operators. The results of such actions on behalf of the state led to the fact that the Australian fortune hunters are constantly playing foreign websites despite the law.
Another popular game among the local players online is roulette. But this game is also usually provided by the majority of foreign operators, so online roulette for real money and the virtual gambling establishments that provide it is also prohibited, that is, participation in such entertainment becomes illegal. It seems that the Australian government is dramatically struggling with it, but can achieve nothing by such an attitude and bans of the gambling websites.
Asian Casinos
Asia is the region that is characterized by a rapid development of the gambling mega cities. Here the most prosperous casino and casino networks are situated and a lot of people are annually allured to play here. However, the gambling attitude to casinos and the business is very complex in Asia.
On the one hand, there's a sharp desire to protect the citizens from the negative gambling addiction. On the other - the reluctance to lose money brought by the gambling industry. As a result, the two major centers of attraction for the fastidious public - Macau and Singapore, as well as many casinos that have poor neighbors like Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Nepal appeared on the world gambling map.
Macau is the most successful and the fastest-growing gambling metropolis of the world. For several years, from an unknown town on the edge of geography, it became the second capital of gambling after the word renowned Las Vegas. The leadership is also possible, since all the major US and Australian gambling operators are successfully mastering the new markets.
It is truly the place where game is a priority. Some hotel owners even regret that invest too much money in the rooms, because most of the visitors do not need to sleep, just to have a place, where to put the suitcases and go out for a hot play!
This is certainly due to the Asian mentality, many gamblers have not yet seen the world! They are capable of playing slots or roulette day and night with the usual tenacity trying to win jackpot and gt rich.
Lotteries
Lottery is what all the above mentioned countries have in common. Every nation likes playing and winning in lottery. Lotteries are used on a state level by many countries all over the world and wrapped their networks around many states on various continents. The profits from this business comprises up to seventy per cent of the total revenue from the gaming industry. The reasons for this are simplicity, accessibility, low prices and the huge jackpots that the organizers announce and promise.
Basically, the lottery business, one way or another, belongs to the state. Who else can guarantee the payment or storage of the multi-million dollar winnings? As a result, we obtain the legal structure created by the state gambling with the fixed taxation. It is clear that the tender is awarded to the company which is given the right to conduct a state lottery.
Online Casinos
What all the gambling nations have in common is also the fact that they express controversial attitudes towards the online gambling. Online casino has undergone a long and complicated evolution period. Nowadays online casinos, internet gambling and the software manufacturing business have established a leading position, both in the income level and the complexity of its regulation.
The land based casinos, feeling danger, by all their means and with all their forces are trying to limit or even prohibit the use of the Internet to play. However, all that they've got is fighting against the windmills. The most incredible is that to completely ban the online gambling industry is only possible by means of banning the network, thus — simply impossible.
The United States, however, managed to make the most powerful ban for the game on the network. They hit the most essential feature: money transactions and issued a ban on making payments to online casinos in poker. After that, the players were forced to turn to intermediaries who provide services of money withdraw through foreign bank networks and payment systems, etc. This situation, however, could not last forever, and the state has implemented such sanctions so that to force the gambling operators themselves not to allow the customers in the United States.
Remember the case when the two of the largest online poker rooms were accused of concealing the income and money laundering, and their leaders that have been declared as most wanted by the FBI? To tell the truth, the situation caused stir in the gaming world, since the interests of the online casino customers have been a lot affected. The websites lost a lot of money on their "frozen" portals. It took several years and a lot of resources in order to solve the problem. As a result, the story deterred many US players and forced them to search of the countries with more loyal attitudes and user friendly gambling policies.
Nowadays, gambling, like so many other aspects of our lives, is moving to the Internet and fast growing. The only thing that is for sure is that the game will always be. Whether it will remain the prerogative of a minority or will turn into a general attitude — the time will show.
The players throughout the nations still have a great opportunity to visit a vast gambling empire across the continents with the help of the world wide web and form their own individual casino attitudes, either positive or negative — it's up on them. Power and money will always be enough for that.
Welcome with your own gambling attitudes and comments! See you around!