Can Gambling Do Us Good?
Gambling is generally viewed by the moralists as the bane of the community. They say it produces unproductive members of the community, initiates crime-related activities and nurtures greed and desire among the people. Gambling, for the longest time, has had this image of breaking dreams and wreaking havoc on family lives. However, casinos is also great catalyst to re-channel income from the haves to the have-nots. This is exactly the reason why some games that used to be played underground now have gained the approval of the government. Some countries have stepped up and made gambling work to their advantage by regulating it. Some Islamic countries, however, have remained resolved in their stand against gambling.
Gambling is epitomized in the casinos---the blackjack, poker and slot machines. It can also take place in the non-traditional casino setting such as the bingo, mahjong, sports-betting, lottery and sweepstakes. The most popular and legal form of gambling would have to be the lottery or the sweepstakes. Because it is legal, there are more people who have access and can bet on the game---meaning the stakes could go even higher. Gambling proceeds are meant to fund social programs such as poverty alleviation, health programs and education for the young. The local and state tax collected from the casinos, which is inherently paid for by the gamblers, are also to serve the same purpose. Sprouting casinos would also mean jobs and opportunities for the neighborhood. This are the reasons is why gambling is also deemed to be beneficial to society, at least to a certain extent.
Still, there is a catch to this. Some argue that the social costs undeniably outweigh the economic benefits of gambling. Countries that have accepted gambling as a way of life only harbor unproductive citizens and pathological and problem gamblers. It can even drive the most prominent men into bankruptcy and taints the importance of education to the youth as fortune now can come from sheer luck and not hard work. Having said this, gambling, indeed, is a double-edged sword.
Gambling is ubiquitous in any society, regardless of how advanced or backward their economy is. The question is how to approach this reality. Do the government continue to hound those the gambling lords and players or would it be better to accept this reality and find a way to be on top of the whole situation? Responsibility and maturity---these are the two things the government should stress on the gamblers. Gambling is ultimately a game of chance. You can rake in a million or lose you whole life in an instant. If everyone is willing to take that risk, play in moderation and be mature enough to face the consequences of our actions, then I don't think gambling could cause us our downfall.