By FITSNews || Banned a decade ago, video poker could be on the verge of making a comeback in the Palmetto state …
Several S.C. lobbyists who spoke with FITS on condition of anonymity said that a “major push” in support of the video poker industry was scheduled to begin in 2011 – just as lawmakers return to Columbia to begin drafting the first budget in three years that won’t include President Barack Obama’s bureaucratic bailout money.
In an effort to generate the revenue needed to maintain their vast network of bureaucratic fiefdoms, many political observers believe that state lawmakers will turn to video poker machines – which were outlawed in 2000 when the S.C. Supreme Court blocked a referendum that would have given Palmetto State residents the right to vote on their legality. A lobbyist who has been in contact with the video poker industry tells FITS that the machines are unlikely to reappear immediately, but that lawmakers will eventually be forced to support them as state revenue continue to slide.
“Two years of (budgetary) pain ought to do the trick,” the lobbyist said.
Also, it’s unlikely that social conservatives in South Carolina would be able to mount an effective resistance to the video poker onslaught – particularly not if it emerges as an issue on the ballot. Even in 2000 – arguably the high-water mark of social conservative influence in the state – a statewide lottery passed with 54 percent of the vote.
A recent poll of FITS readers found that 70 percent supported bringing video poker back.
Earlier this year, S.C. Senator Robert Ford made the issue the centerpiece of his campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Ford said reviving the video poker industry would bring in nearly $1 billion in new tax revenue and create 40,000 jobs.
Neither Democratic gubernatorial nominee Vincent Sheheen nor GOP nominee Nikki Haley has taken a position on the issue.
And neither have we.
On the one hand, we support the legalization of all forms of gambling (including video poker) along the South Carolina coast – which would dramatically improve the competitive position of our $18.4 billion tourism industry.
As for the legalization (or re-legalization) of video poker throughout the state, though, we haven’t made up our minds. Clearly, there is a libertarian argument to be made in support of bringing video poker back, but we think there’s an equally compelling argument to be made against giving state government another $1 billion to play with each year (unless it were offset with a corresponding tax cut).
We’re also hoping to see some data on how many problem or pathological gamblers would be created in the event video poker comes back (and how much they would cost taxpayers), as similar fiscal data produced a decade ago was among the more compelling arguments made by video poker opponents.
By O'Neal Compton July 21, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Another billion to play with? Come on, Willie, the goddamn state is about 2 Billion short of the 2007 budget. They’ve already laid off bunches of people (which I know you love– you and Grover Norquist)and whether you admit it or not, the education budget is woefully underfunded. Of course, blind and disabled people are doing without medical attention and who knows what else and our highways and bridges are outright dangerous for lack of attention (even Buck Limehouse agrees with this.) I realize that you think a 21 Billion dollar budget is outrageous but under the current rules, it is not. As long as we get federal matches for our own expenditures, this budget tightening is counter-productive.
By Toyota Kawaski July 21, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Bring it back along with all forms of gambling sports book included.
By Fred July 21, 2010 at 2:13 pm
For the first time in my life, I find myself in agreement with O’Neal Compton.
Fred
By fitsnews July 21, 2010 at 2:14 pm
O’Neal-
The total state budget is UP this year (as it was the last two years) due not only to federal stimulus spending, but also higher fees and fines levied by the state.
So don’t play us that sad record. It skips (over about $16 BILLION).
-FITS
By countryboy July 21, 2010 at 2:44 pm
The first time around I was against video poker because I feared the innocent spouses and children of the players throwing paychecks away would be affected. Now? If they want to bring video poker back, fine. The dumbasses who play it would throw their paychecks away on something anyhow, might as well be VP. In short, I am tired of even being concerned about being my brothers keeper.
But I still don’t like the idea of giving government more money to waste and become even bigger. Look at all the promises that have come out of Columbia in the last several decades. Add a penny sales tax and it will solve problem X. Bring in the Lottery and it will solve problem Y. Yet the problems each new tax or fee is supposed to alleviate, just don’t get solved and usually become bigger problems.
Might as well have wide open Vegas style gambling. The showgirls would certainly improve the quality of life here.
By piepton July 21, 2010 at 2:58 pm
I thought the reasons for smaller government were to lower taxes, reduce deficit spending, and protect individual rights. I didn’t know smaller government was a goal in itself. As long as they aren’t using the new found revenue for law enforcement, why would anybody be against the government having more money? Using that logic, if unemployment in SC was cut in half and suddenly the government had more tax revenue, that would be a bad thing. FITS is way off base on this one.
By james July 21, 2010 at 3:20 pm
the state is not going to allow competition for its lottery revenues
By EB July 21, 2010 at 3:36 pm
The total budget for FY10-2011 is $21.149 billion: $8.268 billion in Federal Funds; $7.766 in Other Funds; and $5.115 billion in General Funds.
The new budget is almost half a billion dollars more than last year’s authorized budget of $20.695 million.
It is $290 million more than the FY08-2009 authorized budget, which was $20.859 billion before mid-year cuts reduced the budget to $19.97 billion.
With personal income and the economy shrinking, it seems to me that maintaining the current level of spending or reducing the spending on a year-to-year basis may be the way to go.
If agencies are not providing the appropriate goods and services while the budget has maintained and even increased over the years, I would look to agencies.
Are they “woefully underfunded” or “woefully inefficient?” Would reforming and streamlining these agencies improve the use of our tax money?
If enough people want Video Poker, we will get it. I have never played it and I won’t piss away money on it in the future.
But, I don’t like the image that comes to mind, politicians licking their chops and whacking off over another billion dollars.
Yes, some people need services, won’t deny that, but spreading another billion dollars over our present system, without reform, is an act of sheer folly.
By Caleb July 21, 2010 at 4:08 pm
They can call them electronic bingo machines (as they do in Alabama) to get around the state laws on video gambling…
By Bobby July 21, 2010 at 4:12 pm
if vincent comes out in support of video poker, he needs to get on a stage and let robert ford laugh at him for three months because that is how he acted when it was brought up during the primary.
By wayne July 21, 2010 at 6:18 pm
I’ll support if it eliminates state income tax. Florida gets it’s revenue from the dogs and horses.
By snodgrass July 21, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I’m OK with video poker as long as people aren’t allowed to smoke, text or draw unemployment while doing so.
By Slim July 21, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Having spent several years in and around the poker machine business in the early nineties, I have to say I am not encouraged by this news. The old saying “you can’t go home again” comes to mind. The big players in the state, Fred Collins and Steve Lipscomb were relatively legitimate businessmen as far as I could tell, and ran pretty clean businesses. I doubt Steve would get back into the business and I don’t even know if Fred is still alive. My biggest concern would be the type of people this newfound opportunity would attract to SC. “Not good” people would be my guess. Secondly, the bulk of the business (by far) came from the mill towns in the upstate whose citizens really couldn’t afford it then, much less in this economy. Some of the dens in Lancaster had individual machines netting in a day more than most Columbia bars were taking in their machines in a week. I just don’t think the money is there anymore. But on the other hand, what the hell do I know?
By It;'s Simple July 22, 2010 at 1:08 am
Horse racing in Camden? Yes.
Casinos/Sports Book in Myrtle Beach? Yes.
Video Poker? Yes.
Dog Track in Rock Hill? Yes.
Do all of that and eliminate the lottery.
The number of jobs created by legalized gambling would put a huge
dent in the unemployment rate.
Then take the revenue from the gambling and do this:
1) Provide a college tuition voucher to every high school graduate in the amount of 5,000. To the student, not to the school. Make the schools compete for the money. Renewable every year with a 3.0 GPA.
2) Pour money into the technical college system to make it the best-in-class system in the country. We need a skilled workforce, not a bunch of lawyers, poli sci, marketing, and history majors.
3) Establish a pay-for-performance pool for teachers and principals. Give the top 10% a multi-thousand dollar bonus each year based on feedback from students/other teachers/parents/administration.
By Jeffy July 22, 2010 at 9:21 am
I thought Oneal was a big time Hollywood movie producer. Why we he care about video poker?
By Bob Sacamanto July 22, 2010 at 10:28 am
Lest everyone forget, this state was very, very close to being completely run by barons of the video poker industry. We’re far better off without Fred Collins and his ilk…
By Prevert July 22, 2010 at 12:43 pm
To all the libertarians that are concerned with growing government, here’s a novel idea. Bring back VP and don’t tax it.
Let all the mom and pop businesses reap the benefits and let the idiots that are addicted to it lose their homes and families.
By carl the greenskeeper July 22, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Yeah, well, sometimes nothing is a real cool hand.
By O'Neal Compton July 22, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Jeffy,
O’Neal cares about poor people, hungry children, adequate healthcare for old people and schools that are worth a shit. Therefore O’Neal cares about state revenues that do not derive from tax increases.
To wit: Throroughbred racing, casino gambling, parimutual betting, video poker and anything else that will generate more tourism and revenues from folks who can afford it. I do agree with whoever said do away with the lottery. It is highway robbery from the poorest people in the state. Maybe video poker is as well, but if we had real gambling like most of the other states on the East coast, we wouldn’t need it.
By Jeffy01 July 23, 2010 at 8:31 am
Why dont we bulid a huge movie studio with tax dollars and bring major motion picture production here? (Funny I sound like Robert Ford- Maaan Sheeeeet)
By C20H26N2O July 23, 2010 at 9:49 pm
If you knew what the gaming-machine’s program was doing behind the scenes, you wouldn’t play. It’s a rigged game, and most in the high-tech industry are aware of it, but don’t care, since they don’t play. If the systems played an absolutely fair game, I would say bring them back. The odds are already in favor of the dealer, so why do they need to tamper with the cards?? While it is still a game of chance, it is not what it appears to be. While some of my friends argue that the games are not rigged, they do believe a machine can be set “tight” or “loose”. This is a mathematical contradiction when it comes to poker or blackjack. Just ask Dr. Lundasoid if you don’t believe me. The numbers do not lie.
By WeAlreadyVoted January 5, 2011 at 3:57 pm
How quickly residents forget. We already voted on this and by a huge majority the people voted it in(I believe only 2 county said no one was Greenville). But our lovely state legislators voted it out. Our vote doesn’t count.