The Case Against Legalized Gambling

1320 Words3 Pages

The gambling industry is a big money maker in America. Gambling institutions exist in many states. These institutions consist of riverboat casinos, Indian reservation casinos, and regular gaming casinos that all accumulate millions of dollars to the state through taxes. This tax money is then used throughout the state for many programs that may include education, health, and road maintenance. The American Gaming Association (AGA) even claims that gambling institutions lower the taxes in many areas because of the large tax money they give the government (CQ 784). But does the gambling industry only help and build the economy and attract money from the public? Perhaps the gambling industry increases more than just government funds. Is it possible that the gambling also increases crime?

One thing that is for sure is that gambling can trigger addiction. The National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (NCALG) states that the more legalized gambling available, the more addictive behavior is triggered. In 1989, only 1.7 percent of Iowa's adults were gambling addicts, but after riverboat casinos were legalized, the rate of addiction more than tripled to 5.4 percent (NCALG). If people become so heavily addicted to gambling that they become problem gamblers (one who loses a significant amount of money a year) or even worse, a compulsive gambler (one who is so addicted to gambling to the extent that they struggle daily to resist the temptation to take all the money they have and gamble it--they will bet on anything just for the small chance of winning), crime is definitely a factor to gambling.

If, when casinos are legalized in states, just a few people become compulsive gamblers, the chances of not having an increased crime is slim ...

... middle of paper ...

...brings? The good of gambling is as small as a mustard seed!

Works Cited

"Gambling Under Attack." CQ Researcher. Congressional Quarterly Inc. 6 Sept. 2012, Volume , No. 33 Pages 769- 792

http.//www.ncalg.org/pages/quotes.htm.

Kindt, John Warren, MD. "The Economic Impacts of Legalized Gambling." Drake Law Review. University of Illinois, Champagen, Illinois

"The Case Against Legalized Gambling." National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. Washington, D.C., ncalg@ncalg.org.

"Task force on gambling addiction in Maryland." Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene alcohol and drug Administration, 2013.

Valente, Judith. "An interview with Art Schlichter." People Weekly 15 Jan. 2012: v45 n2 p81

The Ozone Hole Tour: Part I. The History of the Ozone Hole. June 2013. Online. Internet. Nov. 30 2014.

http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/part1.html.

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