Create a 2 page essay paper that discusses Are lotteries/casinos a good idea.

The legalized gambling issue is one that is particularly personal within my life. I have had family members who have struggled with addictions to casino gambling and lottery gambling. One of my aunts even spent her entire savings on the lottery because she believed so strongly that she would eventually win. The devastation that I saw within her life as well as a few other family members convinced me that legalized gambling is very harmful in every way. Also, this personal experience helped to form my opinion against legalized gambling.

Those who argue for legalized gambling see the economic benefits for the country as a whole. According to an article entitled “How Much Does the Government Make Off of Gambling,” “gaming brings in nearly $100 billion in tax revenue every year”(Ritchie). This kind of money is extremely beneficial to an economy where more people are choosing to save their money than to spend it. The economic benefits for the government are hard to deny, but legalized gambling has even harsher consequences that can’t be denied or ignored as well.

Additionally, those who argue for legalized gambling believe that this is an issue which does not need government policing. In their view, human beings have the capability to make their own decisions in regards to how they spend their money. When the government regulates this particular business, those involved with legalized gambling believe that it is another ploy by the federal or state governments to strip the citizens of their freedoms. Even though this argument does have its merits, it does not appear that the gambling industry has been negatively impacted by the regulation which has occurred, according to the annual revenue estimates of these casinos and state lotteries.

Even with these opposing arguments, there are many reasons as to why legalized gambling does more harm than good. It is no secret that gambling is an extremely risky activity with the odds