Are lotteries/casinos a good idea - Essay Example

and Number Lotteries and Casinos: Not a Good Idea According to the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, “eighty-five percent of Americans have gambled at least once in their lives”(UCLA). Gambling has reached ever corner of the country with 48 out of the 50 states having legalized it in the form of lotteries and casinos(UCLA). By having gambling so easily accessible, America has opened the door to the problems that accompany this particular activity. Ultimately, legalized gambling is extremely harmful to a person’s life as it leads to financial hardships, negatively impacts social relationships, and can cause mental health problems.

The legalized gambling issue is one that is particularly personal within my life. I have had family members who have struggled with addictions to casino gambling and lottery gambling. One of my aunts even spent her entire savings on the lottery because she believed so strongly that she would eventually win. The devastation that I saw within her life as well as a few other family members convinced me that legalized gambling is very harmful in every way. Also, this personal experience helped to form my opinion against legalized gambling.

Those who argue for legalized gambling see the economic benefits for the country as a whole. According to an article entitled “How Much Does the Government Make Off of Gambling,” “gaming brings in nearly $100 billion in tax revenue every year”(Ritchie). This kind of money is extremely beneficial to an economy where more people are choosing to save their money than to spend it. The economic benefits for the government are hard to deny, but legalized gambling has even harsher consequences that can’t be denied or ignored as well.

Additionally, those who argue for legalized gambling believe that this is an issue which does not need government policing. In their view, human beings have the capability to make their own decisions in regards to how they spend their money. When the government regulates this particular business, those involved with legalized gambling believe that it is another ploy by the federal or state governments to strip the citizens of their freedoms. Even though this argument does have its merits, it does not appear that the gambling industry has been negatively impacted by the regulation which has occurred, according to the annual revenue estimates of these casinos and state lotteries.

Even with these opposing arguments, there are many reasons as to why legalized gambling does more harm than good. It is no secret that gambling is an extremely risky activity with the odds of a person winning back their money or winning more money than they wagered being extremely low. More often than not, the person is going to lose their money which is why gambling is a dangerous practice. The gambling business pulls in billions of dollars every year. This amount is in addition to the $40 billion that gamblers lose due to “counseling, productivity declines and social services” which often accompany people with gambling problems, according to an article entitled “The Five Most Expensive Addictions”(Van Riper).

With a total price tag of $75 billion dollars in a time of high unemployment and growing levels of poverty, this is not a cost that the average American can handle without suffering severe economic ruin. Besides the financial hardships, legalized gambling can also cause problems within a person’s social relationships which adds to the overall destruction caused by casino and lottery gambling. There are a few different reasons as to why this occurs. One reason is that the financial problems gambling causes can create tension within a family who might already be struggling to pay the bills or make ends meet.

In addition, as a person places their focus on gambling, they are paying less and less attention to their family members or friends. This leads to the fraying of relationships and causes the gambler to become more and more isolated which, in turn, may lead to that person spending more of their time at places like casinos. Finally, legalized gambling in casinos and with the lottery can lead to mental health problems which is an extremely serious problem that can lead to crisis. The isolation that a person experiences from their family and friends, as well as the financial problems, can lead to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts or feelings.

It can also lead to a person developing an addiction to gambling known as compulsive gambling. These mental health problems can be very serious and may lead to a lower quality of life is left untreated. Although gambling in casinos or spending money on the lottery may be a fun way to pass the time and may provide some much needed revenue for the government, the problems that this activity causes far outweigh any minor benefits. Legalized gambling has the potential to ruin lives. Almost every year, it seems like there is some sort of ballot initiative to expand legalize gambling in a particular county or town, but if U.S. citizens continue to allow this type of gambling to spread, it is possible that the problems which accompany the activity will not just be a nuisance, but will become a full blown crisis of epidemic proportions.

In the end, the financial, social, and mental health costs cannot be ignored, and the best way to contain the problem is by limiting the opportunities to gamble in the first place. ReferencesRitchie , Josh. "How Much Does the Government Make Off of Gambling? " Official TurboTax. 9 Sept. 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. ."UCLA Gambling Studies Program." UCLA . Web. 15 Oct. 2011. .Van Riper, Tom . "The 5 most expensive addictions." MSN Money. Forbes, 13 Oct. 2006. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. .