Underground Casinos and What They Represent

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The first rule of the underground casino: you don’t talk about the underground casino. Ever! Well, at least that’s what the rules say in North Korea. In the rest of the world, illegal gambling is still pretty much illegal, but people aren’t so scared to talk about it. Anyways, there isn’t any country in the world that permits gambling in all the myriad forms that we can find it in. At least one variation is always outlawed.

Today, we’re focusing mainly on underground casinos around the world, the danger that is hidden behind their doors, and of course, the profits that they make. We will also explain what kinds of people are ready to risk running this business, and we’re going to try and find the answer to the eternal question about whether it’s harmful to you to gamble legally, or whether it’s just a matter of competing against the government, who tend to tax the more legitimate gambling establishments out there?

Illegal Gambling and What It’s Made Of

First and foremost, let’s talk about the whole notion of underground gambling and what it represents. In countries where gambling is strictly prohibited, casino business owners start looking for a solution for how to hide their establishment, while still managing to make it accessible to passersby.

If you’re walking along the streets of some Eastern European country that has strict gambling prohibition laws but a slightly higher level of corruption than other EU countries, you’re going to see a national lottery house at every corner. They may look like a national lottery establishment; but in reality, when you enter inside, all you can see are the flashing lights of the slots machines and some empty poker tables. No lottery tables; only lottery tickets on the counter.

This way of running a business reminds you of something, doesn’t it? We know… That’s the exact concept of a speakeasy club during the Prohibition era, isn’t it? The kind of thing we all know about from history books and from movies made in the 1920s-30s.

And this is exactly the same kind of picture you may see in many countries in the world where gambling is prohibited. However, if you remember the end of the story about Prohibition, you may agree that making something illegal doesn’t really solve the problem, it just moves the problem to a different level. The same goes for alcohol, prostitution, and gambling. The government doesn’t stop the spread of an activity by prohibiting it, they only make it worse. The situation then deteriorates, as the authorities fail to regulate the laws and to establish rules to make people’s lives easier.

As a result, people still drink, gamble, and provide services related to prostitution that harm their physical and mental health.

The unwillingness of the government to recognize gambling as a legal activity lead to the spread of underground casinos around the world, with regular busts and money laundering. Instead of supplying the region’s budget with tax money, underground casinos make profits only for themselves, which has a negative effect upon the local economy.

Who owns these establishments, you might ask? If we take the statistics of the United States, we might suggest organized crime is strongly involved in this. They make all the profits, and at times, they supply local illegal drug business. The facts given here are just stating the obvious – illegal casinos attract more crime! And of course, we’re talking about all spheres of life here.

If we take into account the people who visit such establishments, we will find ourselves jumping to some obvious conclusions. Think about it: if they’re bold enough to gamble illegally, they are either deeply fond of this activity or have no fear of authority, which means these people find it much easier to give in to bad influences of some kind. They may visit an underground casino for another poker game, and leave it as part of another organized crime syndicate. And even though we may be exaggerating the situation a little for narrative purposes, it may still can be true in some cases.

The sad fact is that even if federal laws allow gambling on the official level, it won’t put an end to illegal gambling activities. Legal casinos aren’t going to attract people who has something of a taste for the extreme, multiple researchers say. Plus, there are numerous casino players who have been cast out of authorized casinos for fraudulent activity, and who may end up finding their ‘safe haven’ in one of the many illegal establishments dotted all over town. Plus, legal casinos are not really that abundant in every town; so for some people, it will take who-knows-how-many-hours ride to get there.

No One Really Knows…

Well, nobody really knows about the revenues of illegal casinos. They may be estimated in billions of dollars, because you’re not going to encounter any wagering limits! The economist, Jay Zagorsky, once calculated that the profits of underground gambling totaled about $67 billion in the United States of America. Can you imagine what would happen if all these casinos went from the black economy to full visibility? The country’s economy would probably flourish like never before.

Conclusion

So you’ve just learned everything you need to know about underground casinos and why they exist. To sum it up, it’s important to mention that people are always seeking an opportunity to get what their souls and minds are craving, and if what we’re craving is hidden away somewhere illegal – well, most of us will are still going to do it. Underground casinos represent a very profitable business owned by some very serious people, who are determined to keep hold of it no matter what. They’re going to remain operating even, if all the other businesses are going to emerge into the full light of day.

You May Also Want To Know

• Are underground casinos illegal?

It depends on the state. To check whether the underground casino is illegal in your state, you should check your local laws, or ask your attorney. Now as it turns out, there are some exceptions when we’re talking about illegal gambling in groups. For example, in some states, gambling in a group of four is legal. However, if you decide to play card games in a group of five or higher, you may face federal prosecution.

• What is underground gambling?

Underground gambling is a kind of gambling activity performed in casino venues that are not authorized in terms of the state laws However, the guests of such establishments should be more concerned about falling prey to armed robbers or being targeted by police busts.

• Is it gambling if no money is involved?

The kind of gambling where the participants are considered equal, i.e. where nobody wins and no money is involved in the process, usually isn’t considered to be illegal. This way of gambling is called ‘social gambling.’ However, you need to consult local laws to determine whether or not social gambling is lawful in your state.

• Is sports betting illegal in the USA?

It depends on the state. Starting from May 2018 sports betting became legal in some states, as the government decided that the ban violated the rights of citizens. You should consult local laws to learn more about the issue.