In the last year Americans have wagered $482 billion dollars Over eighty-five percent of this wagering took place in casinos which are now legal in twenty-seven states. In the past decade there has been incredible growth in the gambling industry. Twenty years ago if a person wanted to gamble they had to go to Nevada. Nowadays, there are only six states in which no form of legalized gambling exists. Proponents of the gambling industry feel that this growth is a good thing a nd that it is helping the national economy. However, there are many opponents that feel that gambling is hurting families and society. Indeed, there needs to be a limit to the growth of the gambling industry, although, this industry does have some merit s they don't outweigh the costs to society. Proponents of the gaming industry insist that gambling is good clean fun, and that so many people enjoying something can't be wrong. In fact, proponents are quick to point out that fun is not the only issue; in addition, these new casinos have created thousands of jobs. Furthermore, not only have casinos created new jobs, but there has been an increase in tax revenue for the cities that have casinos. Indeed, the increase in tax revenues has helped to rebuild some rundown inner cities and river fronts areas. These people argue there is little reason to worry about gambling as most people will only lose a small amount of money and will have a fun time losing it. However, opponents insist that most of the jobs created are low paying and offer little opportunity for the worker to progress. Furthermore, the creation of these casino jobs have taken away jobs from other areas of the economy. For inezce, restaurants near casinos are being forced out of business by the cheep buffets that casinos offer to draw people in. Many people argue that casinos have not created any significant increases in the number of jobs. Some analysis's point to a four percent growth in areas with legali...
