In recent years, there has been a strong case in the United States for using casino taxes to combat our carbon footprint and help support the green economy.
It’s also been referred to as sin tax (aka vice tax or sumptuary tax) – taxation placed on a range of products and services that factions of society consider undesirable, such as alcohol, gambling, and tobacco.
Let’s dive straight in to discover if there is a case for using casino taxes and investing that money to develop and support resource-efficient, socially inclusive, low-carbon initiatives, infrastructure, and sustainable economic activities to reduce the impact of environmental damage.
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Can using sin taxes to bolster the green economy remedy the US carbon footprint?
The United States is not only home to the world’s most iconic land-based casinos. It’s also home to the best of online casinos that the iGaming industry has to offer.
Land-based venues have a much larger carbon footprint than their online counterparts, and one of the best ways to reduce their carbon footprint is to use the taxes levied on these businesses to help fund a range of green economy projects and social initiatives.
In fact, millions of dollars generated annually in casino taxes have already been used by authorities to strengthen the green economy at the local, state, and federal levels.
For example, in a handful of states where online casino websites are legally permitted, such as Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, sin taxes have been used to fund various problem gambling initiatives and responsible gambling programs.
These programs are designed to educate people who play on these sites who are deemed ‘at risk’ by informing them about the potential negative impact gambling can have when one doesn’t gamble responsibly, offering free guidance and professional support.
The casino taxes generated by state and federal authorities have also been used to fund multiple successful green sporting, public health, and green economy initiatives.
While most people argue that allowing these so-called sin taxes is effective and that they can massively help bolster the green economy infrastructure and introduce low-carbon initiatives, others argue that it is not the most reliable source of revenue.
If someone enjoys placing sports bets, playing slot machines, traditional table and card games, or any other games typically found at casinos is growing increasingly conscious about their personal carbon footprint and would like to be ‘greener’ and reduce their carbon footprint, they might like to consider betting online.
Is it safer and greener to bet online?
Yes. It’s perfectly safe to play games or place sports bets online in the US. Some states have fully legalised sports betting, others have legalised sports betting and casino sites, and others have only legalised sweepstakes casinos, the latter of which are not considered gambling.
To find out what’s available in your state, one of the safest review sites you can turn to for more information is the official Casino.org website.
Their dedicated team of researchers have found the greenest states with the best online sportsbooks, regular casino sites with slots, blackjack, roulette, etc, and sweepstake casinos for anyone living in the following states:
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
- New York
- Connecticut
- Michigan
They also have information about green gaming sites for people living in Wyoming, North Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, Arizona, Ohio, South Dakota, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, and Virginia.
To access any of these fully licensed and regulated sites from your Wi-Fi/internet-enabled PC or mobile device, you must be at least 21 years old. You don’t need to travel miles in a fuel-guzzling vehicle to play any of the thousands of games found on these sites.
You can simply open your web browser, go to your chosen sites, log-in, and start playing, which massively helps reduce your carbon footprint on the environment. It’s why so many people these days choose to play on sites like this as opposed to physically playing in person at a land-based venue.
Final thoughts
Society will continue to look for new revenue streams that can be used to reduce our carbon footprint, and casino taxes are, for many, a no-brainer.
Those who are ‘pro’ levying casino taxes predict that this additional revenue stream will boost the green economy and allow authorities to fund numerous initiatives that have a significant environmental impact over the coming years.
Should you decide to play online to reduce your carbon footprint, the most important thing you can do is avoid playing on unlicensed and unregulated sites at all costs because they will not help contribute towards your local green economy.
Stick to playing on reputable sites that are licensed and regulated by one or more of the industry’s most notable mid to top-tier licensing authorities. Sites like this will have a range of safer gambling tools in place to ensure you remain within your budget.
They have excellent cybersecurity measures in place, such as firewalls and 128-bit or higher Secure Socket Layer) cryptographic encryption to keep your personal details and bankroll out of harm’s way, and they have excellent customer service standards and reliable/friendly/professionally trained player support agents typically available 24/7 and reachable via live chat, email, and toll-free telephone.
Finally, on many of today’s safest and greenest online betting sites, you can use a range of safer gambling tools, such as session time reminders, win/loss limits, spending caps, and deposit limits (e.g., daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits), which is something that is usually not available at a land-based venue.
Setting limits keeps things safe and fun. It ensures you remain in control of your spending and helps make you a much greener player.