Gambling hypocrisy runs wild

It sure is a good thing somebody called the cops on Addlestone Hebrew Academy last weekend.

The school was just about to host a fundraiser at the Jewish Community Center that would have allowed some folks to bet real Monopoly money on roulette and blackjack.

Man, if someone hadn't seen the advertisements and called it in, the whole town might have turned to salt.

But not to worry, the morality patrol is on the job, using our valuable resources on things that mean absolutely nothing at all.

The police were nice but said, technically, it doesn't matter if there was real gambling going on. City ordinances outlaw gaming devices, so the academy could have gotten in hot water. When somebody complains, the police have no option but to enforce the law, even if it makes no sense.

Huh? Wonder why they aren't busting Wal-Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Costco and others for selling nefarious poker chips, dice and the appropriately named Risk?

At some point, the people in this state are going to have to get off their hypocritical high horse about fake gambling, not to mention real gambling. This was a charity event for a school, not a speakeasy.

Get real, people.

Gambling bad; lottery good?

About three years ago, WTMA hosted a charity poker tournament in North Charleston. It was a fun event. They had more than 400 players who bought in for $28 or such with the prospects of winning nothing but a title. Proceeds went to a local cancer charity.

Nobody got hurt, no one got killed, and the state did not melt. No great upswing in the crime rate resulted. But when it came time for the second annual Holy City Charity Poker Championship in 2007, somebody took it all the way to the attorney general's office to shut it down.

The same thing has happened at "casino nights" hosted by various civic and church organizations in this state over the years. All for the same reason: It looks immoral to some yahoos.

Of course, at the same time, it's perfectly fine for the state to act as a bookie in its own statewide lottery, a pure game of chance that some studies say preys on those least able to afford to play.

No one gripes about that because it cuts down on the taxes some of them have to shell out.

A bad bet

Charleston City Councilman Tim Mallard was outraged at the shutdown, calling Addlestone Hebrew Academy "a great school with a great tradition in the Jewish community that has given back to this city for years."

He says stupid laws like this should exempt charity organizations and that the police should not have to waste their time.

"This is just more government red tape," Mallard says, adding that it makes no sense "trying to regulate charities when they should be focused on catching the criminals who glued the door locks on downtown businesses the day before the busiest shopping weekend of the year."

Of course, the police can do both; but Mallard's point is that the priorities of the community are off when folks are worried more about "a thimble full of alcohol" at the Hibernian parade or the Turkey Day Run than real problems.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell on Thursday introduced legislation that would allow charities to hold casino nights as well as legalize kitchen table poker games.

Few people in politics are brave enough to suggest such common sense laws. But before you break out the cards, wait and see how the General Assembly reacts. There's going to be a lot of faux hand-wringing, a lot of grandstanding. There will be much playing to the crowds.

Because busybodies, more regularly than anyone else, vote.

Reach Brian Hicks at 937-5561 or bhicks@postandcourier.com. To read more of Hicks' columns, go to Charleston.net/hicks/.