Pros and Cons of Gambling—The Big Debate Continues!
There’s a great deal of hypocrisy around gambling—those who are nominally for gambling may not allow it for their own family members, and those who are against it may go to a church basement or a local bingo parlor, or buy tickets in a state lottery without thinking that they are truly gambling.One of the greatest sources of hypocrisy is among the city-owned casinos in France and Germany. The cities own the casinos lock, stock and barrel, and make a lot of money on them. When you go into such a casino, however, you must present your identity papers or passport. What’s the reason for this? They do not allow their own citizens to play in their own casino! It’s OK to soak your fellow countrymen, even the people from the neighboring village, but not to soak your own voters—ah, citizens. After all, if Hans down the street loses his Lederhosen due to playing too much and too often at the local roulette wheel, the mayor is going to hear about it in the next election.
So are the Burgermeisters and Maires of the German and French cities that own casinos pro or con on gambling? Both, I’d have to answer. They’re con when it comes to their own citizens, and pro when it comes to everyone else.
In this respect, the pros and cons can reside in the same person.
In other places, the pros and cons are much more clearly drawn. In some countries and some religions, gambling is not only frowned-upon, it’s actually forbidden. In the southern US, for example, gambling is forbidden by Southern Baptists. In fact, they are strictly not even allowed to play games of chance, such as poker with fake chips. I don’t know what their attitude is for games of skill, such as chess. Perhaps it’s allowed, but that’s a question for the next Southern Baptist you see.
If you go to Utah, you will find most people ‘con.’ That’s because the Mormon religion frowns upon gambling. Of course, the Utahans can just go over the border to Nevada if they are bitten by the gambling bug and sate their desires. So even if your society is con, you can be pro and find an outlet for your need to gamble!
