Gambling

Gambling. The mere mention of the word makes some people cringe while others delight in the possibility of making easy money. Gambling has been a part of many cultures for a long time. “Implements associated with the practice of gambling have been found in ancient China sites dating back to about 2300 B.C. A pair of ivory dice made sometime before 1500 B.C. have been found in Egypt” (“Gambling History”). In American culture, however, casino gambling has become an issue. On one hand, casinos are seen as secular or unethical while others state that they are beneficial to a community in many ways. The views that demote casino gambling can often times be based upon misconceptions about the gaming industry. Casino gambling should be legalized across the U.S. not only because of these misconceptions about the gaming industry, but also because there are many legal forms of gambling.

The first misconception about gambling is the danger of compulsive gambling. It is estimated that 1.6 percent of American adults will become pathological gamblers. While it still may seem like a major problem in our country, 6.2 percent of American adults will give in to drug addiction while 13.8 percent of the American adult population will become alcoholics (Chapman). Only a fraction of casino visitors are addicted to gambling; most people go for entertainment purposes. The casino gamblers without a gambling problem should not be punished because of the small percentage that is addicted to gambling.

The prevalence of pathological gambling is not the only misunderstood concept. Casinos can often be viewed as having a negative effect on the community economically. Many are told that casinos hurt local retailers by capturing dollars. Studies on casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota by William V. Ackerman show that casinos increase and generate increasing revenues for the city. Ackerman goes on to say that they can have the same effect on the county as well as the state. Instead of hurting local...