Should Casinos Be Banned in the USA? Research Paper Example

Abstract

The practice of gambling has been prevalent throughout history. Despite the fact that this activity has been widespread and highly integrated into many diverse cultures, the United States began questioning the ethical nature of this practice in the 20^th century. Even though legal gambling practices were renewed beginning in 1931, there is a major debate as to whether these institutions should continue to be legal. There are many advantages and disadvantages related to gambling practice. The advantages are that gaming contributes to the worsening of psychological symptoms, it is highly addictive, and it is an expensive activity. The disadvantages are that casinos help their local and state governments earn a profit and it is a fun activity enjoyed by many adults. The evidence indicates that it is important for adults to make their own decisions as to whether or not they should gamble based on their own understanding of their personality. Those that typical exhibit addictive behaviors and would not be able to control the duration of gambling or the money spent should avoid this form of gaming. In addition, those with pre-existing psychological difficulties should avoid this as well. Responsible adults over the age of 21, however, should be permitted to continue their involvement in this form of entertainment. It would be beneficial for more rigorous government supports to be put in place to help individuals that fall victim to the pleasures of gambling so their personal rights and the rights of those who are not at risk for gambling addiction can be supported simultaneously.

History of Casinos

Casinos are not considered to be modern; gambling-specific venues have existed for hundreds of years. As described by casinohistory.org (2013), the term casino originated in Italy, and refers to a building that is specifically build for pleasure. “This building includes music, dancing and gambling,” (history section, para. 7). The first casino well known to man was established in Italy in 1638 and it was called Casino de Venesia. Interestingly, this casino is still operating today. In 2300 B.C., the gambling practice was first initiated by the Chinese (history section, para. 1).

It is apparent that many cultures have adopting some form of gambling. According to professionals in the field, gambling is “based on the Ancient Greeks, Games of Chance, Elizabeth England and the Romans to Napoleons” (history section, para. 1). Despite the prevalence of this adult gaming industry across the world, many individuals began to question the moral aspect of this activity. As a consequence, in the early 20^th century, social reformers and state legislatures prohibited gambling in the United States. Many of these individuals enacted legislation based on their own personal and religious beliefs, which classified adult gaming as sinful. However, the municipality of Las Vegas overturned this legislation in 1931, when gambling became legalized in Las Vegas, Nevada. Because of this decision, Las Vegas was able to earn as significant amount of profit and is now considered the gambling center of the country. With the development of Las Vegas, other localities wished to profit from adult gaming as well. In 1978, the Atlantic City, New Jersey, opened its first casino. Today, this town is the second biggest gambling city in America (history section, para 4). In 1989, the Mirage hotel resort and casino opened in Las Vegas, and the influence of gambling spread as a consequence. Hotel and casino owners demonstrated that they were willing to spend large sums of money to make the gambling industry luxurious and attractive. According to the American Gaming Association (2014), the cost to build the Mirage was approximately 630 Million dollars making it one of the most expensive ever built casinos in history.

Evidence that Supports Casinos Being Banned

Gambling Contributes to Psychological Distress

Today, casinos can be found in 20 states and 30 states offer either commercial or tribal form of legalized gambling. As narrated by casinohistory.org (2013), since the mid 90’s the casino industry has expanded due to the advent of the internet. People can now “play casino games” in the comfort of their own homes. Evidently, as technology continues to advance, the prevalence of gambling as an adult entertainment activity may continue to grow. However, the greater number of people that are involved in gambling contributes to a greater number of individuals that can become unintentionally be physically affected by their gambling habits. According to Thimoty Fong MD from the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute:

“Pathological gamblers are at increased risk to develop stress-related conditions, such as hypertension, sleep deprivation, cardiovascular disease, and peptic ulcer disease. Common psychiatric sequelae of pathological gambling include exacerbation and initiation of major depressive episodes, anxiety disorders, or sub-stance use disorders” (2005).

It is it apparent that individuals that already suffer from psychological difficulties should avoid gambling. According to Fong, the activity triggers biochemical signaling that intensifies their symptoms. Unfortunately, gambling is a profitable activity primarily for the casino itself. Therefore, even though many gamblers enjoy this form of entertainment for the high that it provides them, this high is often following by a period of low and self-doubt when more losings than winnings accumulate (PsychGuides.com, 2015). This effect is especially intensified in patients with pre-existing mental health concerns. In other instances, some gamblers can actually become physically addicted to gambling, which has the potential to cause further health detriment. According to a gambling statistics website, “Approximately two to three percent of Americans meet the criteria for problem gambling. That’s around 6 million adults and about a half million teens” (Frazier, 2015). Therefore, it is important to understand that gambling is an addictive activity for many individuals and pre-existing psychological difficulties increase the rate of addition. As a consequence, we have a social responsibility to protect these people.

Gambling is Highly Addictive

It is apparent that many individuals consider gambling to be a highly addictive form of entertainment, but it is essential to determine how damaging this activity could be in terms of the financial consequences. In a news report presented by Frum (2013), the institute for American Values explains that “Modern slot machines are highly addictive because they get into people’s heads as well as their wallets.” According to a professional in the field, government officials have responded to this problem by taking the following action:

The media has introduced illegal internet gambling making it an easy access which aggravates the existing problem. Before the advancement of the internet technology, “the compulsive gambler had to leave home to find an outlet for his addiction, today he has only to turn on his computer and have a credit card ready. Twenty-four hours a day” (Yoest, 2006).

Because of this increase gambling accessibility, many individuals spend large sums of money on this activity. While many gambling addicts were previously required to visit their local casino to spend money, they are now able to do so from the comfort of their own homes. This means that they are now being encouraged to spend a larger amount of money on gambling than they had previously. The National Council on Problem Gambling claims that, “the annual cost associated with gambling (crime, addiction, and bankruptcy) is $17 billion” (Frazier, 2015). Therefore, gambling is a large money-making industry in many regards. Lawyers and bankers are profiting from working with these individuals and law enforcement is being supported for resolving gambling-related crimes. Often, these individuals are driven to a life of crime due to the poverty that is caused from their spending addition. Therefore, disbanding this industry, or at the minimum imposing regulations, would greatly benefit a large number of people.

The Incidence of Criminal Activity

Since 1978, the expansion of casinos in many states has led to an increase amount of criminal activity in the U. S. According to Humphreys and Soebbing (2014), an in-depth statistical study was done by Grinols (PhD professor in economics at Baylor university) and Mustard (Ph. D in economics) that took approximately 20 years from 1977 to 1998 to fully analyze the link between casinos and crime in the country. They came to the conclusion that:

“Approximately 8 percent of the crimes occurring in the U.S. counties with casinos were attributable to the presence of casinos. The crimes affected by casino openings included several types of violent crimes (aggravated assault, robbery, rape), burglary, and auto theft. The crime rates increased 3 to 5 years after the opening of a casino in a county.”

Overall, this evidence demonstrates that there is a clear connection between gambling and crime. Casino towns have become more impoverished as a consequence of the amount of casinos in these areas. While one would expect these institutions to be profit-centers and job providers for the individuals living in these towns, it appears to have had the opposite effect. These areas are more crime-ridden and impoverished than they had been prior to the establishment of the casinos. Instead, it is the state government that is able to enjoy profit from the taxation of these venues.

Evidence that Supports Casinos Remaining Open for Business

Casinos are Profit-Centers

While many people believe that casinos are unethical and can cause much harm to the people that use them, others claim that it is important to allow casinos to continue to operate due to the profits they accumulate for their localities and states. Many local and state governments have approved the use of casinos in their areas primarily because they serve as a way to bridge gaps in the budget. Ultimately, this profit is used to support public services for the community. In some instances, the money earned from gambling is pooled directly into the education budget. In 2008, the state of Maryland started an education trust fund in which schools would:

“Receive the lion’s share of gambling revenues from slots at five new casinos: About half of the slots revenue went directly to the education fund and an additional 18.5 percent to other state programs. The casino companies generally kept no more than 33 percent” (Brockett, 2014).

Many states intend to follow Maryland’s lead. Recently, New York City has focused on expanding its gaming revenue, opening gambling facilities in Queen in order to encourage locals to gamble within the state instead of traveling to Atlantic City or Las Vegas. Recently, the city has been ranked the third most profitable city for gambling (Blain, 2012). Governer Cuomo is pleased to hear these results because a large profitability is needed to support the services the state provides to the people of New York State and New York City. The needs of a large population are challenging to support.

Gambling is a Leisure Pursuit

There are many individuals that promote the idea of gambling simply because it is a form of entertainment that they enjoy. In a webpage presented by World Casino Resorts (2015), it is estimated that there are 4000 casinos around the world and they are continuing to grow. This is indicative that casinos are popular because a lot of people consider them to be fun, and they will continue to be profitable as long as this is the case. Casinos are usually built close to or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping areas, cruise ships and other tourist attractions and play an important tourism role for many countries (World Casino Resort, 2015). One of the most popular games in casinos and now online developed by the English, is the craps game, “[a] casino dice game which is very popular in the United States. … Players wager money against the casino and bet on the outcome of one or a number of rolls of two dice” (Marie, 2015, Crap history section, para.1).

As a consequence, it is apparent that casinos design their facilities to appeal to many unique interests of their customers. Casinos will continue to be a fun gaming experience for individuals that are fully aware of the potential for loss and will not engage in the activity for a long period of time. Even though many people have become addicted to gambling, it is important to consider that there are also many people who are able to game responsibly. According to Ohio for Responsible Gambling, “Problem gambling rates among teens and young adults have been shown to be 2-3 times that of adults” (Ohio, 2015). It is important to consider that to address this problem, many states have made the legal gambling age restricted to 21 or over. Therefore, the irresponsibility of young children is not a primary concern of the gaming industry.

Conclusion

 It is apparent that there are many advantages and disadvantages associated with the existence of casinos. On one hand, gaming contributes to the worsening of psychological symptoms, it is highly addictive, and it is an expensive activity. On the other hand, casinos help their local and state governments earn a profit and it is a fun activity enjoyed by many adults. Overall, it is important to consider that gambling is an enjoyable and innocent activity for some and completely detrimental for others. The evidence indicates that the legality of gambling is irrelevant; it is the individual responsibility and pre-existing personality concerns of the individual that should determine whether or not they are able to gamble. Provided that a person is able to make the correct decision as to how much money should be spent while gambling and how long the activity can commence for, it is acceptable to engage in this activity. However, it is important to err on the side of caution throughout this process.

References

Blain, G. (2012). New York raked in $1 billion more than New Jersey in gambling money, making the Empire State 3rd behind Nevada and California. Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/new-york-raked-1-billion-new-jersey-gambling-money-making-empire-state-3rd-behind-nevada-california-article-1.1108039

Brockett, M. (2014). Despite Campaign Promises, Casinos, Not Schools, Are Big Winners When Gambling Profits Are Tallied. Retrieved from http://cnsmaryland.org/gambling/casino/casino.html

Fong, T.M. (2005). The Biopsychosocial Consequences of Pathological Gambling. Psychiatry (Edgmont)., 2(3): 22–30.

Frazier, K. (2015). Gambling Addiction Statistics. Retrieved from http://addiction.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gambling_Addiction_Statistics

Frum, D. (2013). The Harm that Casinos Do. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/24/opinion/frum-casinos-harm/

Hession, G. (2014). The Government Gambling Racket. New American (08856540), 30(2), 23-28.

Humphreys, B. R., & Soebbing, B. P. (2014). Access to Legal Gambling and the Incidence of Crime: Evidence from Alberta. Growth & Change, 45(1), 101. doi:10.1111/grow.12034 .

Ohio. (2015). Welcome to Ohio for Responsible Gambling. Retrieved from http://www.org.ohio.gov/

Psychguides.com. (2015). Compulsive Gambling Symptoms, Causes and Effects. Retrieved from http://www.psychguides.com/guides/compulsive-gambling-symptoms-causes-and-effects/

Marie, D. (2015). Craps history. Craps history. Retrieved from http://www.casinocashjourney.com/craps_history.htm

World casino resorts. (2015). The history of casinos. The history of casinos. Retrieved from http://world-casino-resorts.com/the-history-of-casinos/

Yoest, C. (2006). Congress Should Not Legalize Internet Poker. Human Events, 62(11), 18.