Legalizing Sports Gambling Was a Huge Mistake – The Atlantic:
The rise of sports gambling has caused a wave of financial and familial misery, one that falls disproportionately on the most economically precarious households. Six years into the experiment, the evidence is convincing: Legalizing sports gambling was a huge mistake.
This article paints as a stark a picture as possible as to the harms of legalized sports gambling. Admittedly, I’m a bit skeptical of the domestic violence studies, but it seems undeniably that sports gambling is bad for people.
And yet…what business does government, state or federal, have in telling citizens whether or not they can wager? Even if I concede all the possible harms that the article mentions, I’m still left with the notion that banning gambling is governmental overreach. Whether it’s a state or federal issue (I think state, by the way), why am I not free to wager my money as I see fit? It may be stupid to do so—so is playing the lottery—but shouldn’t people have the right to do stupid things?
I would generally argue that they should and that government has little or no right to stop them. I’m open to counter argument, as my pondering of this topic is recent and limited. But lack of governmental intrusion into people’s lives—that people have a right to do what they want to do—is my default position on political issues.