Isn’t This a Moral Issue?
Over time, activities that damage a society, its culture, its economy, its families and its ability to survive come to be considered “immoral.” It’s a bit of a chicken and egg debate. Are activities bad because they’re immoral, or are they immoral because they are bad? Consider the next argument.
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Every day Sol prays, "God, please let me win the lottery." This is his prayer every day for years. Finally God opens the clouds to reply,
"Sol," God says, "Meet me halfway, buy a ticket!"
There are no atheists playing slot machines. Each player truly believes that God has a great destiny designed for them, and the machine is a vehicle for deliverance. My evidence for this argument is the high incidence of smoking in casinos , especially at the slots. (Casinos which must honor a smoking ban experience a marked drop in business.) Smoking is an affirmation that one enjoys a special relationship with our Deity.
All of us live with the specter of our uncertain live span. In return we are given a sure and certain knowledge that God loves us. He will intervene in our daily tribulations just when we need it most. Like the Roman soldier who eased Jesus's suffering with a well placed spear, we believe that God will end our suffering with a well-timed big score.
Banning gambling is the moral equivalent banning religion . I look forward to your outraged response.
Fortunately, this is a free country, and not a theocracy. We don't make laws based on morality. We make them based on the Constitution and the will of the People. It's why we've dropped other obsolete laws based on morality like anti-sodomy laws. It's time for this oppressive and arbitrary ban to go the way of the dodo as well.
You ignore the shades of gray. For example, there's a HUGE difference between lottery tickets and poker tables. For example the odds of winning at poker are higher than winning the lottery. Moreover, casino gambling may be different than gambling on stocks on Wall Street, but the key elements are the same. People get addicted to Wall Street, there are both costs and benefits to society from Wall Street, and suicide? Well read about how legal Wall Street gambling is increasing suicides here:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080804/ehrenreich