Is Legalized Gambling In America The Right Choice?
Recently, a new, debatable topic has hit Americans in a swift manner. Should gambling be legalized in their respective states? As you may already know, gambling is the act of risking something of value for a potential chance of profit. “Not that long ago, Americans held gambling in the same esteem as heroin dealing” (Popkin & Hetter 17). Today, however, people see gambling not as bad as it used to be. In fact, according to a Harrah’s survey, thirty two percent of all households in the United States gambled at a casino in 1996 (Calvert 2). However large this number may seem, there are still a tremendous amount that do not gamble and feel that it should not be legalized in any way, shape or form. Proponents believe that gambling benefits the economy because the tax reduction it brings along with an increase of jobs available to the people. They also believe that it benefits society as a result of the facilities it builds and finances through tax money.
