Question inspired by the news that Dave and Busters is supposed to be adding gambling to their games. And of course there are the sports betting apps.
I get that all things being equal we should let people do what they want to do. But I don’t see much of a benefit, and a lot of downside to allowing the spread of gambling.
Similar to alcohol or drugs, legalisation can make things safer. As a bonus it can also open a new revenue stream for government through taxes.
Look at the legalisation of weed in some American states. Instead of a shady dealer you could go into a store. Instead of whatever they had at the time, you have known quality goods. Yes, there’s a lot more nuance to it than that, but the general idea is that it takes away a big chunk of that market of people from organised crime that would otherwise have been profiting.
For gambling the same kind of logic applies. People are going to be gambling anyway, so add in some legal frameworks that can make sure that things are more of a known value, and hopefully less likely to cause harm. Perfect example: you get stiffed on a win? If it’s an off the books thing and you complain you’ll probably end up with broken legs. If it’s a legalised thing you could go to court or a regulatory body.