Most workday mornings, my alarm goes off at 5:00, and I pop on the TV to get the local weather report. In the 10 to 15 minutes that the TV is on, I'll invariably see multiple commercials for online gambling and casinos.
This mystifies me. Early morning risers cannot possibly be the target demographic for, say, sports betting. And yet, the ads and sponsorships are quite literally everywhere — they are rolling in so much money that they can afford to saturate the market. With A-list celebrities, no less! (C'mon, Jon Hamm — do you really need that money?)
Look, so-called sin taxes are the path of least resistance whenever politicians are strapped for tax revenue. So it's not surprising last year when the state government compromised on a 24% wholesale tax on marijuana to close the gap on roads funding. But they had to know that the recreational cannabis industry in Michigan was already teetering on viability — liberal licensing of dispensaries (especially in border state communities) had created signficant overgrowth ripe for contraction. The wholesale tax is pushing many off the cliff, and with it, tax revenue for local communities.
Meanwhile, the FanDuels and DraftKings of the world are obviously swimming in cash. Of course, this is also why they can afford the best lobbyists.
Editor's note: John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Public, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
