Welfare Recipients Would be Banned from Gambling Under Proposed Legislation

January 26, 2012 11:58 PM

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JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (KMOX) - Those on welfare could not gamble in Missouri, under proposed legislation in Jefferson city.

Republican St. Joseph Senator Rob Schaaf introduced the bill.

“If they are going to be taking taxpayer dollars , they don’t need to be gambling with those dollars.” said Schaaf.

Democratic St. Louis Senator Robin Wright Jones rejects the proposal.

“People who receive welfare have a life just like people who do not and they have every right to participate in anything that the state funds.” said Wright-Jones.

The bill would give riverboat casinos a list of welfare recipients and ban them from gaming activities.

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Bob

YES all states should do it….
A_Lou

Not a Republican, but yes totally agree I work full time to pay my bills, mortgage and debt. No one funds my entertainment, REALLY! The state is strapped for money cutting important programs- people who need assistance should use it for real needs like housing, food or taking care of their children.
Mike

It would be hypocritical to ban them from gambling without also banning them from buying Lottery tickets too. But then how many thousands of lottery tickets wouldn’t be purchased every week?

Mike

Maybe we should ban them from buying cigarettes and alcohol too, as well as sugary cereals, carbonated beverages, candy, health club memberships, cinema tickets, taking their kids to play arcade games or Six Flags too. If you can’t tell I’m being facetious.

stlmom4

Would love to see this legislation put in place. As for Mike’s assertion of all else we should ban, albeit in jest, we actually already do restrict some of these. I believe food stamps can’t be used to purchase cigarettes or alcohol and junk foods are often discussed to be on the targeted list. Are we really going to fight for the right of someone needing taxpayer assistance to gamble and lose it as the vast majority are designed to do? People have a right to spend THEIR OWN money legally as they wish. While not supporting oneself, restrictions are to be expected.
A_Lou

Well said stlmom4. Obviously it’s easier to put a law in place to regulate Missourians from using provided state money to be used on gambling at casinos, it would be close to impossible to regulate lotto ticket buying.

When you need state assistance it’s supposedly for REAL NEEDS in life- gambling may be a right of a person, but the state is not OBLIGATED to fund it.
Perhaps a politician may be concerned about losing votes from those who receive aid if gambling is not allowed on welfare money. There are still many states struggling to fund programs, newsflash MO is one of them, the priority is to help who really need it and most importantly for the care of their children NOT to fund entertainment. It is a fact there are compulsive gamblers who have real issues, not everyone is a compulsive gambler- however if you have known one or live with one, it’s sad to see how they can lose their last dollar and be unable to pay bills. When you see a welfare recipient wait to get their check and make a beeline to the boat immediately, after there’s something fundamentally wrong with that.