Legalization of Gambling: Pro's and Con's
The Legalization of Gambling
PROS:
The Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution in the Bill of Rights respectfully states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people”. (Gerald Murphy, Cleveland Free-Net). This Amendment states the individual’s choice about how to spend ones money.
There are a few reasons that the Government should not involve themselves in this situation. First and foremost the constitution does not authorize the federal government to obligate itself in the gambling and the gaming industry. Second citizens who live in a free society and under democracy and the constitution should be able to spend their money in any democratic way they want. (Will Congress Nationalize Gambling). Gambling involves only willing participants. Unlike taxes, the citizens living in this democracy are given the equal opportunity to purse any means of happiness they wish. People who gamble may win hefty amounts of cash and be content, or on the other hand they can take the chance to lose ample amounts of money and be miserable. But that is the responsibility of the people and the Government should trust and respect that. Spending money in a casino is no different from spending money in a tavern or a sports arena or even at a political fundraiser. The government should not engage themselves in this type of situation.
The gambling industry has supported many different types of organizations and involves themselves financially in numerous associations. To support the Goverment the Republican and Democratic Party’s receive hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from the gaming industry. According to the Center for Responsive Politics the total number of money contributed from the gambling industry to politics in the last presidential election was 6.7 million dollars (Metrobeat). Much of the gambling industry’s rapid expansion in recent years can be attributed to its effective of allowing local businesses and political leaders to be tantalized by promises of increased tourism and economic development (Metrobeat).
The gambling industry supports education and donates millions of dollars to colleges across the United States. For example in Georgia the Hope Scholarship is a program created by the gambling lottery industry and gives full scholarships to well deserved Georgia students. This plan...