Legalization = increased addiction

[Somto9Light]

Gambling legalization does not encourage for addiction in it, people should learn how they put gamble in a more responsible manner for their own personal interest, we should not gamble in such a way that we affect us by the decision we make in it, everyone know that this is an intention for entertainment purpose and not to strive ourselves into it or anything that may later affect us if found addicted into it.

There are several things and factors that causes gambling addiction and I agree with you that legalizing gambling isn’t one of those factors. Inasmuch as it means more people would be having access and trooping into the casino, it doesn’t expressly mean that they’ll automatically become addicted. The real problem and major cause of gambling addiction has always been how individuals choose to approach gambling. Legal or not, as long as gamblers consider gambling to be nothing more but entertainment then no one would get addicted for sure or at least the rate of addiction would be very minimal.

[AmoreJaz]

Some countries don't care about the revenue that is generated from gambling. They claim that they are more concerned about the safety of their citizens. Some of them claim that gambling is draining the finances of their citizens and underage gambling is affecting the young generation.  

I will always support proper regulation of the gambling industry. A total ban will give rise to underground or illegal gambling.

That's true, there are some countries that choose to ban gambling instead of legalizing it, because the care about the wellbeing of their citizens and knowing how bad it will affect the young ones, they will just ban it and this is just the right thing to do as a government that loves and cares about their citizens. But, for those countries that can't ban gambling, they have to make sure that people who gambles are doing it in a responsible way, that is to say, they have to treat gambling as entertainment game and stay strict to the rules of no underage gambling, as it can also be of help.

I would say, I am not against about gambling but the government should regulate this type of business. Banning will just create black market in gambling. Because gambling has been part of human history already. And we can't eradicate this activity from humans. Addiction depends on the gambler. Whether it is legalized or not, I believe, gamblers have the upper hand if he will get addicted to it or not.

[hedgeh0g]

I would say, I am not against about gambling but the government should regulate this type of business. Banning will just create black market in gambling. Because gambling has been part of human history already. And we can't eradicate this activity from humans. Addiction depends on the gambler. Whether it is legalized or not, I believe, gamblers have the upper hand if he will get addicted to it or not.

Legalization is certainly a natural process, but regulatory authorities must understand how important it is to protect players who are prone to gambling and losing heavily. Such players simply cannot control their anger during moments of rage in the game. I experienced this several times a long time ago and understand how dangerous it is, but over time, I was able to overcome this and now never try to win back my losses. But this may not be possible for everyone. I don't really want this to be an uncontrolled process, because if it ends badly, it could negatively impact citizens and the ecosystem as a whole.

[goldkingcoiner]

I was reading some statistics and it became apparently obvious that addiction goes straight up when gambling is legalized.

Here's a news article:
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/sports-gambling/gambling-disorder-increased-legalized-sports-betting-rcna351785

For instance in the US it is a crucial point because eight now many states are legalising gambling whereas the only permissible form was state lotteries which were not so addictive. For instance you may buy a ticket but the odds of winning were so low that there was no instant gratification. And the proceeds we're largely used for good causes too.

Now gambling is all about super fast wins and advertising that is projecting false standards. So people are seeing it everywhere and accessing it by just making a bank wire that is instantly credited just like paying for a streaming subscription.

Maybe it's better for the collective good that gambling remains non legalized.

I do not think that works that way.

Let's take a look at the countries that legalized cannabis, for example. A lot of people said legalization would bring more addiction. It did not. Instead, it brought regulation and harm reducation along with better cannabis quality and prices. Not to mention all the jobs and new tax income for the government.

Making something illegal is not going to stop making people do it. They are just going to be doing it in more harmful and more unsafe ways.

Legal gambling is far better for the people than illegal gambling.

[Renampun]

But it is better to legalize it than not legalize it and not get taxes from the industry.. with legalization, the government is able to monitor and set regulations to tighten the gambling industry so that it does not have an impact on minors, as well as reducing black market activity. regarding addiction which may increase, this must be balanced with education for users so they are able to gamble responsibly.

[LastKiss]

~snip~

Making something illegal is not going to stop making people do it. They are just going to be doing it in more harmful and more unsafe ways.

Legal gambling is far better for the people than illegal gambling.

Agreed, many people will become curious when they see the name of a casino or gambling company as a sponsor. If their curiosity is strong enough they'll find a way to learn more about it and eventually try play there. Nowadays, online casinos can be accessed from almost anywhere making it easier for people to gamble even in countries where gambling is banned. So, governments should consider how to take advantage of the gambling industry such like collecting tax revenue from it while also providing solutions and support for people who become addicted to gambling.

[IjawMan]

Before the Inception of online gambling other forms of gambling also existed which look very illicit and also addictive too in nature therefore the regulators felt it would have been better to change the narrative by replacing the system with sport betting in form of predictions which is also addictive too.

But in my perspective it is kind of different and a bit responsible that the casino style of gambling where people engage in games that are not easily predictable but solely rely on luck as a result of the house edge involved in it,

But in that of sport betting, there are chances that bettors could likely win cause there is room for analysing the game through statistical databases.

[Cryptomultiplier]

~snip~

Making something illegal is not going to stop making people do it. They are just going to be doing it in more harmful and more unsafe ways.

Legal gambling is far better for the people than illegal gambling.

Agreed, many people will become curious when they see the name of a casino or gambling company as a sponsor. If their curiosity is strong enough they'll find a way to learn more about it and eventually try play there. Nowadays, online casinos can be accessed from almost anywhere making it easier for people to gamble even in countries where gambling is banned. So, governments should consider how to take advantage of the gambling industry such like collecting tax revenue from it while also providing solutions and support for people who become addicted to gambling.

The issues of legalizing or not legalizing gambling activities am sure was debated thoroughly before the conclusion came to legalize it, so bringing up the issue here is just to air opinions and not as if it would do any reasonable damage or repairs to what the law has approved already.
If gambling were not legalized, am sure we know that the government won't benefit from it by revenue and taxes and the cases of money laundering would be great.
With gambling activities being legalized, it makes individuals become aware of government eyes on them as well as the business owners who are at the mercies of regulations and anyone who gets addicted or in the process of getting addicted have fail safe methods that has already been developed to combat the addiction.

[Findingnemo]

I don't think legalizing is the increased cause for addiction, maybe the digitalization contributed to the numbers more still legalizing is important for the user to ensure some kind of assurance that they are gambling in a safe site. But legalization should not stop with just taxing on the wins, it also should be about creating awareness about gambling, addiction and financial crisis if it is abused.

[Oasisman]

Maybe it's better for the collective good that gambling remains non legalized.

What's the guarantee that people can never be addicted, or have less impact on gambling addiction, if gambling is not legalized? We've seen a lot of players trying to bypass some country/area restrictions just to play in that particular casino. Gamblers always find a way to gamble, regardless if it is legal or not, which won't stop addiction either.
Gambling legalisation actually has several advantages, if you don't focus on the negative side. It helps protect both players and the casino, ensuring a safe gambling experience free from exploitation, and it can take legal action if necessary.
Most governments also take advantage financially of the growing gambling industry, so legalizing it benefits them as well. Though basically it's like inviting people to gamble, but most of us are capable enough to discern what's excessive and what's not. I believe most governments do have responsible gambling campaigns and help those who are addicted.

Therefore, legalizing gambling is better than not legalizing it.

[robelneo]

Maybe it's better for the collective good that gambling remains non legalized.

Gambling is inherent in men; if all countries ban gambling, expect underground gambling to flourish, and besides, countries are making a lot of money from gambling, so why kill a cash cow?
It's a multi-billion dollar industry and employed a lot of people its a big help for many countries' economies so I don't think majority of countries will ban, many of them are gambling dependent for their revenues.

[Fortify]

I was reading some statistics and it became apparently obvious that addiction goes straight up when gambling is legalized.

For instance in the US it is a crucial point because eight now many states are legalising gambling whereas the only permissible form was state lotteries which were not so addictive. For instance you may buy a ticket but the odds of winning were so low that there was no instant gratification. And the proceeds we're largely used for good causes too.

Now gambling is all about super fast wins and advertising that is projecting false standards. So people are seeing it everywhere and accessing it by just making a bank wire that is instantly credited just like paying for a streaming subscription.

Maybe it's better for the collective good that gambling remains non legalized.

Well it seems clear and obvious that this would happen, just because people try to avoid illegal things as they lead to jail. It's likely that repealing laws against gambling would also lead to an explosion of advertising which the population will not have any prior experience with understanding. This is probably the most dangerous part because gambling is often over glamorized in these adverts - showing money raining down on people and giving the illusion that it's easy money, which is false. The advertising regulators can often be far behind and need time to make up proper rules to stop such promises or restrict where gambling adverts should be shown. Inevitably some people will suffer but people should definitely be educated before unleashing this on them.

[The Cryptovator]

I was reading some statistics and it became apparently obvious that addiction goes straight up when gambling is legalized.

Now gambling is all about super fast wins and advertising that is projecting false standards. So people are seeing it everywhere and accessing it by just making a bank wire that is instantly credited just like paying for a streaming subscription.

Maybe it's better for the collective good that gambling remains non legalized.

At least I don't believe only legalization will increase gambling addiction. In my jurisdiction gambling isn't legal; if someone is found to be a gambler, then he must be punished by legal authority. But I can assure you, a lot of gamblers are addicted in my country. You can't imagine how many gamblers there are in my country; when you are walking on the streets, you will find someone gambling.

The real concern is even daily labor becomes addictive in our country. So far this is a massive level of addition here. Because offline gambling spots would be controlled by the legal authority, but it's hard to control online gambling. When the government blocks a website, gamblers find another. There are a lot of alternatives to online gambling.

[Bright0515]

Addiction is kind of like a personal choice and not because of legalization or anything, if the government legalizes gambling it doesn't automatically mean that this what makes people addicted to it, even in countries where gambling is not legal people are still addicted which makes it clear that addiction is more like a choice. What increases addiction is actually greed, indiscipline and other factors, not really legalization or anything related to that. It might contribute to it but not significantly.

[adultcrypto]

Legalisation of gambling is mostly done to regulate gambling and also enable government to be part of the process. It does not increase addiction although it embolden a lot of people to get involved and also make it accessible to everyone. Despite the disadvantages, I feel the advantages are enormous too and makes gambling legalisation preferred over illegal operation of gambling activities. Gambling is legal and regulated in my country yet we don't have too many records of gambling addictions, so legalisation has little impact on gambling addiction.

[Finestream]

We can do nothing with gambling legalization because this will continue to happen and might also add more risk to increased addiction. Now the only thing we can do is to emphasized more on responsible gambling because that is the only key to prevent gamblers from entering gambling addiction.

There are a lot of suggestions and advices about responsible gambling, but most of them get ignored by gamblers. I think the government should be more focused on instilling responsible gambling to the gamblers, otherwise they will be banned in the casinos if they continue to execute irresponsible gambling behaviors.

[Sanitough]

Gambling is legal and regulated in my country yet we don't have too many records of gambling addictions, so legalisation has little impact on gambling addiction.

That is because gamblers do not usually present themselves and say they are addicted, and maybe regulators are also controlling it so the addiction rate will not look too high, because people might demand that gambling should be banned.

I think it is still better for gambling to be regulated than not. If it is not regulated, casinos will still make money without paying taxes, gamblers will not be protected, and scams will increase. So the government has no choice, either they ban it or regulate it, and they chose the latter.

[Showlove01]

Some countries don't care about the revenue that is generated from gambling. They claim that they are more concerned about the safety of their citizens. Some of them claim that gambling is draining the finances of their citizens and underage gambling is affecting the young generation.  

I will always support proper regulation of the gambling industry. A total ban will give rise to underground or illegal gambling.

That's true, there are some countries that choose to ban gambling instead of legalizing it, because the care about the wellbeing of their citizens and knowing how bad it will affect the young ones, they will just ban it and this is just the right thing to do as a government that loves and cares about their citizens. But, for those countries that can't ban gambling, they have to make sure that people who gambles are doing it in a responsible way, that is to say, they have to treat gambling as entertainment game and stay strict to the rules of no underage gambling, as it can also be of help.

I would say, I am not against about gambling but the government should regulate this type of business. Banning will just create black market in gambling. Because gambling has been part of human history already. And we can't eradicate this activity from humans. Addiction depends on the gambler. Whether it is legalized or not, I believe, gamblers have the upper hand if he will get addicted to it or not.

The government has no hand in what is actually happening in gambling because everyone is aware of what is involve before they decided to go into it so the government has no hand and secondly they are not to be blamed. Every casino always make it bold and visible that people should gamble responsibly and also only 18 plus of age are qualified to bet because they believe from that age is an adult and they can actually handle themselves.

[tabas]

They shouldn't be confident of saying that lotteries are addictive because they do. Although if some studies have been made before saying that, then that's it. But we know all gambling games are addictive when it's not done with moderation. And for sure a lot of these citizens are going to flock the lotto outlets buying their tickets hoping that someday that they'll win the jackpot. Been there and done that, it has something to play in our mind to be honest and that's why I stopped in lotto because it's different from what they say that it's not addictive.

[JunaidAzizi]

The legalization and licensing do not just help casinos operate freely in the market, the government benefits significantly from it as well, receiving huge revenue from them. If 3 or 4 people out of 100 develop an addiction, who cares? Not even the government. If they have severe problems, the government has hospitals, they can just go to them.

So, if you think about the well being of citizens, the government will not forgo tax revenue, and that is impossible, it will never happen. So what will people do? They will work on the psychology where they can set up a fund and make rules. Surely, they are bound to it and will conduct their gambling activities within those limits. So maybe they can be controlled in that way.