Should Gambling be Illegal?

There are countless people right now that blow a significant amount of money every month and dont consider they have a problem. They are not even on the figures. That was me for the best part of forty years. An addict stood in an arcade or pub wasting my life. Only with hindsight does it become clearer. Clinically depressed, a chip shop or travelling fair started me early. Im still working out the power that machines had over me...it makes no sense other than an addictive drug because there is no way I could say it was a money making activity

Gambling does need to be compared with other mainstream addictions because there are strong parallels. Gambling acts like a drug addiction because adrenaline, dopamine and seratonin are addictive drugs. They are the drugs of life from feelings of love to you name it.

Despite the ban on smoking advertising , 80% of people in my workplace smoke...mainly the youngsters so a lot of use the current regulations are.

Lets not beat about the bush....I think we all know that the government are not really interested in banning the sale of cigarettes or it would already have been done. With respect I've got news for a previous poster...smoking harms everyone that tries it. Our lungs are not designed to inhale smoke and proven carcinogens.

Whether a smoker cares is up to them as its a legal activity.  However its a legal activity because they must feel the tax revenue outweighs the health spend...well I dont know but they love the tax revenue. The fact that its highly addictive just makes it far worse. I read that 78000 people die every year of smoking related illnesses.

I enjoy the occasional drink but I am fully aware that its a toxin and a drug. So Im taking that risk and probably burying my head in the sand about what its really doing to me. Its certainly not a health elixir which gives the liver a cleansing job and nulls a few brain cells.

People can try and call me an old fuddy duddy and spoilsport but you have to look at the facts. Yes I know humans have been seeking escape experiences since the beginning but it doesnt make it right or wholesome does it

The problem is attractive drugs throw risk assessment out of the window and the same goes for gambling.

So Im saying gambling has to be taken seriously as a major scandal/problem, It needs a health warning and serious regulation right now.

The main issue is the tax revenue. I dont expect the dens or gambling commision to police it effectively

Best wishes to everyone on the forum

I am against banning casinos. I think that this is the choice of every person. Many people smoke, drink, use drugs, or eat a lot of sugar. All these things have a heavy effect on the person himself.

You are adult person, aren’t you? Do you really need a nanny state to regulate you life? At the end of the day, it should come down to personal responsibility. If you want to go ahead and gamble, you should have the freedom to do so. It’s never a good idea to grant governments the right to legislate morality. We’ve already seen the disastrous results that led to in regards to sexuality and drinking. Of course, like anything, there is always the risk of gambling being abused by individuals. That’s the risk you find with any recreational activity. However, it’d be foolish to create laws based on the extremes.