Write@Home
Winter 2015

General

Gambling concept, chance and number thirteen One ball with the number 13 inside a hole with other ba

Amongst humans, tendency is the love for risk taking. Many people either love the rush of risk taking or get accustomed to the feeling. This causes people to find joy in places such as amusement parks. It also causes people to be drawn towards acts such as gambling.

For years, gambling has been an incredibly controversial topic. There are people, who oftentimes look at the act from a religious standpoint and say that the act itself is immoral. Those people insist that the loss of money that is caused by gambling is detrimental enough to deem it as unlawful in religion.

On the other hand, there are others who believe that there is no harm to gambling. They find solace in a fun night out and want to risk the loss of their money if it means the chance of gaining more.

Due to the difference in opinion, it is crucial to look at a more objective approach, rather than the personal preferences of those involved in gambling or the lack thereof. What are the pros and cons of gambling? Is there more to gambling than just the chance to win money? Are there more issues involved in gambling, other than those involved with human morale?
According to “Spectator”, legalized gambling generates around sixteen billion dollars annually in Canada. This increase in income can benefit the economy by allowing it to fund objectives including health care and education.

Although the money gained by gambling may go to the government, it is also very crucial to know that it goes to the local government solely. Thereby, areas with more night and city life will make far more, while smaller areas will continue struggling to have ends meet. This causes even bigger disparities between already separated areas.

Another major con of gambling is the prevalent one: addiction. Just like alcoholism or drug use, gambling can hook users into a lifetime of wasting money on the hopes of making a profit. It is crucial for a person not to get too attached to these games, or they can easily lose all their money to a machine.

In the end, there is no black or white answer to the question: "Is gambling destructive?"