Gambling Culture in the United States
Gambling Culture in the United States
Many Americans have mixed feelings about the growth of legalized gambling. Some see it as a harmless recreational activity. Others are concerned about some of the more serious consequences related to gambling. One of the most serious consequences related to gambling is addiction. When a person is addicted to gambling some very real and unfortunate consequences can occur. So the question is should gambling be allowed to stay the way it is, should it be strictly regulated, or should gambling be outlawed?
Some may argue that gambling has evolved into an American pastime and should stay that way. In this view gambling is not a problem, but a solution. Gambling creates jobs, provides recreation, helps local economies, and raises revenue for a variety of public programs. A portion of gambling taxes also goes toward expanding treatment programs for people who have addictions toward gambling and other unhealthy activities. Gambling is a recreational activity and most Americans have no problem with it. This side also argues that sick people need treatment, not restrictions and regulations.
The second option is to regulate gambling to make it safer. Although gambling can be a fun recreational activity, it can also be very dangerous to those who abuse it. One way to regulate gambling is to force states to stop promoting their lotteries. They can also outlaw casinos that encourage excessive gambling by serving free alcohol. Since many states are somewhat dependant on gambling revenue they need to free states from depending on gambling in order to regulate it with less prejudice. Overall gambling can be dangerous to some citizens and the government has a duty to protect them from such risks.
The third option is to completely outlaw gambling. This option would stop any further growth in gambling. This side argues that legalizing gambling makes it legitimate by turning an anti social activity into an acceptable form of behavior for everyone. Gambling helps make people believe that they can get something for nothing and success is achieved by luck and chance rather than by hard work and intelligence. Gambling is a predatory industry that produces nothing more than empty hopes, empty dreams, and empty wallets.
Gambling has been an important national issue for decades. It is hard to say exactly who is...