Moscow officials are concerned that a recent ban on gambling in Russia has led to a rise in online gambling. In fact, as hundreds of legitimate casinos have been closed down, many internet cafes have sprung up. Worry not, though. The authorities are doing their best to stamp that out, by raiding illegal casinos, internet cafes and other establishments that cater to those who believe in doing what they want with their own money.

Roughly a third of the casinos once in existence currently stand in Russia, and those now only sell lottery tickets, except for the few that are getting raided and shut down. Is that trampling on freedom? Well, historically speaking, that’s not exactly a Russian concern. They would be concerned, of course, if the government found they are missing out on a lot of money. However, Moscow Deputy Mayor Sergei Baidakov, who I like to call Ungle Serg, stated that the ban on gambling has only caused tax revenues to drop by 0.5%. “It’s nil compared to the benefits to the health of the nation.”

Right, their concern is for the health of the nation! I keep overlooking that. Maybe it’s because their Prime Minister is an ex-KGB agent, they have a history of starving their own people, murdering political dissenters (or putting them in the gulags), silencing debate, conquering other countries, and denying their people basic civil liberties. Hey, Russia, if you are concerned for the health of the nation, here’s something you should give a try: freedom.

Yeah, I know. Believe it or not, people enjoy having it. Maybe that’s why, despite your beautiful white winters and charming hospitality, you get considerably fewer immigrants than, say, America for example.

But of course Moscow isn’t really concerned for the health of the nation, at least not in any rational way. But that is the problem with a big government like they have in Russia. Big government does not see people as individuals, but as a mass of resources to fuel said government. Sure, individuals want to be able to criticize Vladimir Putin without being blacklisted. Sure, individuals would like to vote in an election that has not been carefully engineered by the government. Sure, individuals would like to protest without disappearing off the face of the earth. Sure, individual laborers would like to be treated better than indentured servants. Sure, individuals would like to be able to spend their own money on a game in a casino without being imprisoned. But when you look at society as a whole, does it really matter what those individuals want? Whether they’re happy or not, they will pay their taxes and do their work (both out of fear of imprisonment), so their health, their happiness, is of no concern to Moscow.

Internet cafes have become the backroom speakeasys of today’s online gambling world. Gone are the days where gambling took place in backrooms and attics of convenience stores and bars. Today, Internet cafes provide such a service for online gamblers looking for a safe place and a remote IP address.

In Florida Internet cafes have become a big “problem” for authorities looking to eradicate online gambling. To keep these scoundrels in check, police have been raiding these establishments and smoking these criminals out from the shadows in which they hide. The latest of these raids went down in Ocala, FL at the Internet Express Cafe on Thursday.

Marion County’s Judge Cochran said, “Folks would come off the streets, give the worker inside some money. They would get a card, and then use that card to gamble, that constitutes illegal gambling in the eyes of the law.”

During the online gambling raid, the employee running the cafe was arrested and charged with being an agent of a gambling house. While the owner has yet to be arrested, he is wanted by police.

“All these cafes are doing is allowing people a safe place where they can go enjoy some time with their friends,” Barry Hall said, “The amount of gambling taking place is minimal compared to the enjoyment these patrons are receiving while at the cafe.”