Gambling takes in upwards of $40 Billion annually- almost triple the music, movies and sports industries. And researchers find that addicts make up 40-60% of that profit.
A recent Atlantic article told the story of a man who lost all his money- and his employer’s money after he embezzled- to his gambling addiction. Ultimately he took his own life.
His family has filed a lawsuit against one of the casinos he frequented for negligence. Is it criminal to entice consumers who freely spend their own money at gambling machines?
Attempted suicides among gambling addicts is 1 in 5– higher than any other addiction type.
Machine games are by far the most lucrative for casinos (slot machines and electronic card games). It constitutes almost 70% of a casino’s revenue. They are quickly becoming as immersive as video games. Most machines are tailored to pop culture. It’s not hard to see how they’re so addictive.
Interesting side note– casinos are leading the lobbying efforts against online gambling. It seems they only like it when Americans gamble at their casinos.
Should casinos be forced to utilize a portion of their $40 billion annual revenue to fight gambling addiction?
This has helped tobacco users ever since the cigarette companies were caught hiding the fact their products were addictive. Now they are required to provide addiction and other charitable services.
Are casinos just as guilty? Are any other industries? Some studies show that sugar is more dangerous than heroin. And caffeine isn’t far behind. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country…
But it could be a dangerous road if we decide to regulate addictions. What are your thoughts?
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