Idaho Legislator Aims to Loosen Informal Gambling Laws
An Idaho legislator wants to lighten the laws surrounding the very current topic of informal gambling. Boise Democrat, Grant Burgoyne, says he wants to drop a law that states that police officers must go after office betting pools and any similar type of gambling. The rule currently is strict. If an Idaho police officer were to catch someone gambling, even in an informal setting such as an office betting pool for the Super Bowl or a private home, and the police officer were to ignore this infraction, or not do something about it can currently be charged with a misdemeanor because of a decades-old law still on the books.
Grant Burgoyne says that police officers should be able to exercise discretion when pursuing potential low-level gambling offenses. His bill would get rid of the law. The House State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to send his measure to the House Wednesday. Burgoyne said he doesn’t think police officers should spend their time worrying about and pursuing “your mother-in-law’s football betting pool” or other small time offenses. Despite the move, many feel that Burgoyne is opening the door for problems. If police officers are left to their own devices when it comes to rules, it may create a huge disparity in law enforcements. It also could encourage corruption and other illegal activities. There are many questions with the decision and critics are not easing up on their stand against allowing individual police officers the ability to make the rules.
Another problem critics have is that as a whole, a state cannot inforce the law “some of the time.” Many opponents believe that state’s legislators have to pick one way or another what is going to be done. The state, like many others is currently embroiled in legalizing and regulating gambling within its borders. It’s difficult to say who is going to win out on the arguments. All that is for sure is that the vagueness of the law won’t hold up as the hobby becomes legalized and used in the state for fund-raising. Legislators are going to have to make clear cut decisions on what the law is and what requirements officers have to uphold it.
