[juspimoubbodo]

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/pro...-99780389.html

Place Your Bet, Help the Debt

The state of California continues to struggle with debt ($19 billion and counting), has slashed many state jobs, furloughed many of the others, and has no budget in place because the Republicans and Democrats in the legislature can't agree on what's best. You have to wonder if they could agree on the color of orange juice.

Raising taxes is out. The Dems won't let Gov. Schwarzenegger do it. The governor has cut just about everything he possibly could and he's considering slashing even more school programs and programs for the elderly. In November, voters will go to the polls to decide whether marijuana should be legalized and taxed by the state. The grim economic reality is making for possible changes that would have seemed unimaginable a few years ago.

So how about gambling? It's big business and it just might be legalized in California. That's if State Sen. Roderick Wright has his way. He supports a lawsuit that's been filed in New Jersey challenging federal law that only allows gambling in a few states. Like Nevada.

According to Whittier Law School professor I. Nelson Rose, legal sports betting could bring California about $1 billion annually. That's a big number (see first paragraph). Wright's committee has a bill on hold that would legalize Internet poker. Would doing so help open the door for sports gambling and the estimated 10,000 jobs it might create?

[Bonioners]

Horse tracks and card clubs have been legal in the state for years. And most of the Indian casinos have additional gambling options. It's not hard to find a place to gamble if that's what one wants to do.