Expansion of Legalized Gambling in the US
Abstract
This paper examines the expansion of legalized gambling in the US in the last two decades, including the forces behind the expansion. The general argument and finding are that the US has experienced a tremendous expansion of legal gambling activities in private and government-owned entities. Initially, only a few states with a government monopoly that offered to gamble, especially lottery services. There was a bigfederal and states governments restriction due to the negative perception of gambling from the public. However, the increased positive support from the public and state governments due to generated revenue, gambling has become legal in almost all states. The states have not only expanded in government-owned lotteries but legalized other forms such as sports betting and tribal casinos. States are generating much revenue from gambling leading to an interstate competition of the activity. Much support has come from the public that has labeled gambling as a morally right activity.
Keywords: Gambling, Lottery, Casino, Expanded, Public Acceptance, Revenue
Expansion of Legalized Gambling in the US
Over the last two decades, the United States has seen the level of legalized gambling hike to a commonplace compared to the previous years. Gambling is now legal in different forms across most states,except a few like Utah and Hawaii(Smith, 2015). According to a 2016 Gallup survey, around half of the Americans are engaging in a state lottery that has more legal freedom (Auter, 2016).Most states had resisted legalizing gambling due to negative impacts and perceptions on the social and economic life of the players. However, states, both the public and governments, have changed the perception leading to increased legalization. The various governments have viewed gambling as a resource of revenue that does not add tax burden on the public. States have, as a result, started lotteries while lowering the restrictions on horse racing, off-track betting, slots, and casinos in the last two decades leading to widespread gambling. This paper will examinethe expansion of legalized gambling across the US and the forces behind in the previous two decades.
The extent of legalized gambling in the US is better seen from the fact that states have made the activity legal to the extent of taking revenue from each other.There has developed a form of competition between states on gambling activity intending to be a leader in making revenue (Smith, 2015). Some of the states have become a powerhouse for gambling due to the mad scramble. For example, Pennsylvania, which legalized and started lottery in the late 20th century, extended to the Powerball lottery that covers several states in 2002 (Woods, 2019).Pennsylvania provides a good view of the extent of legalized gambling in the US in the last two decades due to its rapid improvement. After launching the Powerball lottery, the state went ahead to make table games and slot parlors legal to absorb its gamblers who moved to New Jersey, Atlantic City(Woods, 2019).Pennsylvania has overtaken Atlantic City in the extent of legal gambling to become the second across the US after Nevada. The annual revenue from gambling in the state grew from $ 32 million in 2006 to $3.2 billion in 2012. Pennsylvaniaprovides an overview of how the states have legalized gambling, leading to its expansion in size and type. The US, therefore, has seen tremendous growth in legal gambling in the last two decades due to a changed economic perspective.
The legalization of gambling has received more favor from the increased public acceptance of the activity. Gallup, for example, found that 69% of Americans cite gambling activities as morally right (Norman, 2018). The survey company reported that the level of acceptance amongst the public is the highest and has had a steady increase for the last one and a half-decade. Most of the Americans have embraced gambling and assumed some of the social and economic issues that follow gamblers extending the impact to the community. Through the increased community acceptance, the federal law banning gambling no longer exists. New Jersey challenged the law in the federal court leading to legalized sports betting in racetracks and casinos (Norman, 2018). Following the cancelation, if federal law, most states have considered legalization of gambling within their jurisdiction leading to widespread.
Legal gambling has also seen a transformation from state-operated activity to private entities. Initially, only the state governments, for example, in Pennsylvania, operated the activities due to the perceived negative impact in case of failed regulation(Smith, 2015). States monopolized the gambling sector where legal as an approach to control the type and size of the activities. The lottery is one of the gambling activities which most states have dominated. During such time when the states were sole providers of gambling activities, more people were maintaining a negative perception about the activities. Among the moral questions that led to regulations include family and financial stress. However, with increased public support, there are more private gambling services. Apart from the state lottery, other forms of gambling, for example, sports betting and Latin American Casinos, tribal and internet, have expanded for the last two decades with private ownership following public support(Smith, 2015). More people have supported the legalization of gambling, citing consumer welfare and economic advantages, for example, development and jobs.
In conclusion, the US has experienced an upward trend in achieving high levels of legalized gambling for the last two decades. Initially, there were limited state lotteries if non, following restrictions form the federal and state governments. However, in the previous two decades, gambling has become legal at the national level, and almost all states have legalized the activities. Private entities are now offering gambling services leading to the emergence of activities such as casinos, tribal and internet gambling. Much of the changes result from increased public support of gambling as a morally right activity. The government has also seen an opportunity to attract more revenue leading to wide investment and support to the industry. However, the increased public support from the public does not mean that gambling no longer addicts people with financial, family, and other social distress.
References
Auter Z. (2016). About Half of Americans Play State Lotteries. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/193874/half-americans-play-state-lotteries.aspx
Norman, J. (2018). Acceptance of Gambling Reaches New Heights. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/235379/acceptance-gambling-reaches-new-heights.aspx
Smith, R. L. (2015). Treatment Strategies for Substance Abuse and Process Addictions. John Wiley & Sons.
Woods, B. (2019). Making a wager? Half of Americans live in states soon to offer sports gambling. Retrieved from Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/10/half-of-americans-live-in-states-soon-to-offer-sports-gambling.html