to wonder why gambling remains untaxed?

[lovemehols]

I am sick of all the cuts, the threats of cuts and the extra costs, taxes and levies being placed willy nilly in almost every area of day to day living as this government try to claw back some revenue while this HUGELY profitable area remains untaxed!

Millions of Brits place even more millions of pounds worth of bets every single day in all sorts of guises. From betting shops to bingo, from online gambling to casinos, people are choosing to waste their money and yet none of this is taxed.

Most of us are hit hard by petrol price hikes yet we have no choice but to use a car. Our schools' budgets are being ravaged short term at the expense of our children's futures and we have no say in it. Hospitals are being run in almost negligent ways because staff and establishment budgets are being decimated. And all this at Government say so to rake in and/or save a bit of extra cash. And yet betting - which is only ever a personal choice; never an actual need - is raising no revenue!

AIBU? I don't think so!

YABVVU - taxes should be cut and abolished across the board.

Don't give the State any more power than it has already taken upon itself.

Power? Where is my power when there are taxes on things we have to use? That is hard to stomach.

Why has the government chosen to ignore this potentially lucrative area of revenue which isnot an essential?

Um much of it is taxed.

But it's a real hodge-podge - you might like to look here from some proposals made in March 2010 to simplify the current regulations. No idea if they ever got off the ground, or if it's an area under current review.

Mostly because they would have to give people tax relief for the losses if they taxed the profits!

I thought you did pay tax when you placed a bet at the bookies. You can either choose to pay it on your stake or on your winnings - like two bets for the price of one!

Well some gambling is taxed - horse racing, for example.

And it's pretty difficult to argue that the National Lottery doesn't raise revenue.

No - it used to be that way but it was abolished some time back. If you won then your winnings took a deduction.