What is wrong with gambling?

Someone called the other day for my opinion. Hey, if people want to gamble - let them.

After all, with manufacturing jobs all but gone, it appears that the way states (not only Minnesota) get money through lotteries and other modes of gambling. Why should Nevada get all the hard earning dollars of Minnesotans?

Can you lend me $20?

Also it's just...........not such a good idea. As libertarian as I am, gambling is one thing that I don't think the government should be involved in at all, and I even support governments making gambling illegal.

Let Vegas and Atlantic City and the Native American Reservations have all the casinos.

But my position is, really, almost completely indefensible so don't argue with me, because I have no argument. I'm just going on a guy feeling that the cost to society far outweighs any gain to the society.

It is a dangerous thing. If you organize it so that people or their families can have them barred.. it is not so bad. But many families loose homes and life savings because of gambling. And it causes needless suicides, etc.

If it is an on site gambling facility then you perhaps could bar certain people. People who are hurting others with their illness (habit). So at the very least it needs to be heavily regulated and those VLT at the local bar are not. And highly expensive recovery programs should be available to all who need it.

I say attach iris scan units to each machine and make the bar really low in terms of court orders for someone to be banned.

Alcohol used to be banned like gambling. Because it impoverished families and such. But then they build up AA programs and the like so that there are processes in place to catch people who are addicted. The problem is that Alcohol is not a very strong physical addiction and I think gambling is for those people who really fall hard.

Otherwise.. a daytrip full of seniors to the casino seems fine by me.