Pool Fair

Containing the Spread of Gambling

We can't stop gambling in one day and I doubt if that day ever comes. But there must be a way and some state officials wise enough believe that gambling is too harmful to be grown on. By all means we shouldn't encourage it. Alternatively, what we can do for now is to contain it.

Gambling can be contained. It only requires the state to restrict gambling practices that would harm to society. They can limit gambling by monitoring the size of bets, the age of bettors, the frequency of betting and the availability of credit of the players, and other types of games. No one can implement such sumptuary approach without officials approving. But this is a long shot since we are looking at officials who view gambling as having more benefits than disadvantages.

The regulation isn't impossible. In fact, the same regulation happened in a landmark policy in 1933 that repealed the Prohibition. The policy, sponsored by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., opted for state liquor authorities to fix retail outlets' location, determine prices, and control advertisements. The optimal solution for the distribution of liquors is to manage the trade only to meet an unstimulated, minimum demand in the interest of society. The goal was primarily distribute liquor within a condition to control it and not gain revenue.

We can do the same for gambling. States have been rushing to develop their real estates to gambling establishments. I think we should pause for a while and assess what we're getting into in the first place. Let's gather evidence and get a clear, objective idea of its economic, social, and moral effects. In lotteries, operators should return to the original policy on advertising by removing those that are non-informational. Passive lotteries or those that are less exciting helps contain the ever-increasing gambling epidemic.

For casinos, officials should start creating place, time and manner of gambling restrictions that would contain compulsive behavior and still increase economic benefits to communities. In fact, the same restrictions have been operating in European Casinos where establishments charge membership fees, impose strict dress codes and admission, exclude patrons with records of gambling problems, ban local residents from the premises, and limit the number and size of bets. Their casinos don't advertise and sell liquors at gaming tables and extend credit.

Containment of gambling is just a start. We even doubt that policy restrictions can change what we, as human beings, have been used to do throughout history. But such policy sets the moral tone of what our civilization can do. Let us not forget that we are here to push our society to improve. Although by twisted reasoning we have connected gambling to progress. But if gambling and the promotion thereof only destroy what we have built, it is time for it to cease - one way or another.