No, gambling should not be legalized. Gambling is already legal in many places, such as Las Vegas and on certain regional reservations/casinos, in some form or another in a total of 48 states. But gambling can destroy lives and marriages, and can be a source of addiction. Legal gambling institutions, like Casinos pride themselves in providing a safe environment for willing gamblers. Reward – Arguably the most alluring characteristic of Gambling is the possibility to acquire a reward of extremely high value, in a very short period of time. Pros, Cons Of Legalizing Sports Betting Fast Versus Taking It Slow. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can.

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Gambling

Today, millions of both young and elderly men and women are participating in various forms of gambling. There are many people who are already addicted to gambling as a way earning a living as there are equally many who participate in gambling on a less frequent basis. The game of gambling features various types of wagering including casino dice games, style cards, betting in sports events and electronic games such as poker. However, some of these gambling games are received contrarily different in other countries in accordance with their laws and regulations. In relation to these controversies, there are unending debates as to whether gambling should be legalized or not. In case gambling is legalized, the question remains on what will be the benefits and shortcomings in the society or the economy of a country. Therefore, the paper outlines the possible pros and cons associated with legalization of gambling.

Pros of Legalizing Gambling

First, fully legalized gambling will bring economic stimulation. Permission from the authorities would steer the establishing of standard gambling spots such as casinos that will attract many gamblers including tourist who many earn foreign exchange to a country. For example, in Las Vegas, the gambling business has thrived and this has boosted the state of Nevada in terms of revenue collection through licenses and taxes. In addition, gambling sites will create job opportunities as many of this joints are linked with hotels and night clubs. Therefore, legal gambling is a lucrative business that generates billions of dollars that are channeled into an economy as genuine revenues.

Second, lawful gambling leads to legal behaviors from the participants. Since the casinos are marked as areas susceptible to countless types crimes such as fraud and robberies, making gambling illegal will activate more of these vices. According to studies on human behaviors, people are known to get involved more on prohibited activities than when they are allowed to participate since humans strive to access to what they do not have. Therefore, if gambling is legalized, it will promote lawful conduct and interactions among gambler in the casinos, hotels and clubs.

Third, legitimate gambling will provide various forms of entertainment to citizens. People will feels safe and excited to visit the casinos and other gambling sites when they operate legally. Additionally, the owners of the gambling sites will operate without the fear of breaking the law, and rather ponder on ways to improve the legal operations of their businesses. Thus, lawful gambling offers entertainments to participants as it acts as stress reducer because players in casinos will be playing with confidence and happiness.

Cons of Legalizing Gambling

As much as legalization of gambling appears to offer some benefits, still there are limitations which questions its legalization. One of the disadvantage is that financial concerns in the side of players. For example, players place huge sums of money when staking, and this is very risky in case of unfavorable outcomes. Many gamblers end up losing huge amount of cash that could be of good use elsewhere. Typically, gamblers goes to an extent of selling off some of their valuable assets in a bid to raise betting funds, which render many gamblers broke whenever they lose.

Another limitation associated with legalizing gambling is the possible increase of crime rates. Since some punters are addicted to gambling, they tend to engage in crime such as fraud and theft to raise money for gambling. Studies indicate that cities with many gambling hubs are characterized by high crime rates. Therefore, legalization of gambling will increase betting hubs, hence creating many players who would seek wagering money from any dishonest deal.

*Updated 2018

The Supreme Court recently reversed a 26-year-old federal ban on sports betting, enabling each state to decide whether to allow wagers to be placed on baseball, basketball, football, hockey, among other sports games. Previously, sports betting had been prohibited nationwide, except in four states – Delaware, Nevada, Montana and Oregon. A vast majority of the American people had supported the legalization of sports betting (55% felt that betting on sports should be legal, only 35% opposed), not to mention that the president himself is a former owner of casinos. Therefore, this change in the federal government’s approach to the subject is not surprising.

Here are three reasons why the legalization of sports betting is positive and three more explaining why its negative:

Legalizing Gambling In Texas Pros And Cons

In Support of Legalized Sports Betting:

It is already a thriving industry.

The betting industry has blossomed regardless of its legality. Illegal sports betting is a multi-billion-dollar industry (some estimates are as high as $150 billion); anyone who wants to place a bet can do so easily online or through local office pools and offshore books. Now, after the Supreme Court decision, states will be more inclined to consider or pass legislation to legalize sports betting, thus allowing people to continue betting but in a regulated and fairer environment. It will also prevent them from dealing with questionable bookies. Moreover, addicts will have fewer stigmas, which may make it easier for them to seek help.

It`s the economy, stupid.

Sports betting is good for the economy. Legalizing sports betting will obviously create huge state tax revenues. More importantly, it has the potential to create jobs (estimated between 125,000-152,000 jobs) for the American people. Researchers estimate that legalized, regulated sports betting could actually bring in a total of $6 billion in annual revenue for states by 2023.

Moreover, it has potential to bring huge money into the United States and keep it there. Currently, most of the betting takes place online. It is more than likely that legalizing sports betting in America will trigger American telecommunications and tech companies to take over the international market.

Sports betting won’t corrupt the leagues.

Louis Brandeis, an American lawyer and Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court, once said: “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman…” Meaning, legalized sports betting will actually make it harder to fix games. This is because once legalized, sports betting will be monitored, and any irregular activity will be easily detected. It is easier to fix games in an un-monitored environment, in which money flows under the radar. Therefore, the common belief that legalizing sports betting will corrupt sports is wrong.

Against Legalized Sports Betting:

The house always wins.

Many of those who argued for the legalization of sports betting claimed that it’s more about skills than luck. They said that, much like stock trading, it’s about wittingly identifying opportunities and acting on them. But this assertion is wrong.

The human element has a huge impact on sports; often, the unexpected happens, which can affect everyone from team owners down to the last player. Even where skill may improve odds of winning, people who bet on sports may not always possess the deep understanding of statistics required to win. People usually bet on sports based on a hunch, not knowledge. Sports betting is not about skills and it’s not like stock trading; it’s gambling, and as in gambling, the house always wins.

Should Gambling Be Legalized Pros And Cons

Legalizing sports betting won’t make illegal betting disappear

The main reason people bet with bookies is not the lack of alternative but availability and, most importantly, the generous line of credit that bookies offer. Bettors don’t need to deposit money to bet with bookies, which makes it easier for them to bet with money they don’t have. This is also the main reason wagers get into troubling debt situations. Moreover, bookies will offer better margins and betting rates for their customers since they won’t pay taxes. Thus, legalizing sports betting won’t eliminate illegal betting and the problems that accompany it. For instance, increased opportunities to gamble on sports may increase the amount of gamblers, yet services to help gambling addicts will most likely not rise in parallel.

It will change American sports’ nature

Legalizing gambling on sports will gradually change American sports. As with everything that involves money, the sports industry will become even more commercialized than it is now. In a slow but consistent process, the focus of American sports will become betting rather than the game itself. Anyone who has ever gambled on a sporting event knows that once you place a bet, the focus of the game suddenly becomes money, not the game itself. And that’s not what sports is about.

Bottom line: The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the federal ban on sports betting is reasonable, especially since it is already happening to a large extent, and states deserve to monetarily benefit from it. On the other hand, legalizing betting won’t eliminate illegal betting and will negatively change the nature of sporting events. Do you support the legalization of sports betting? Would you place a bet on your favorite team?