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The State 's Gambling Policy Essay

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The state is of, by, and for the people. This implies that the state is in the best interest of the people, so it 's main priority should be to provide liberty for its citizens, while at the same time protecting them from foreseeable harm. In this essay I argue that the state’s gambling policy should be a proactive one, that is, the state should do as much as it can to prevent problem gambling before it happens, while also preserving individual freedom.
To first develop a state policy for gambling, one must understand why gambling should be legal. Gambling, in itself, is not morally wrong. It is difficult to see anything wrong with a person wagering their own property and wealth at their own expense. It should not be up to the state to decide what a person does in their free time. It is a person’s conscious choice to spend money at a casino, and what distinction can be drawn between gambling and going to see a movie, or attending a sports match? All of the previously mentioned events contain a transaction of money in return, receive entertainment. In fact, if one gambles with the same amount of money they would have spent on a different form of entertainment, they have the possibility of getting their money back, or even winning more. The approach a state should take is that of John Stuart Mill, and his “harm principle”. The harm principle allows regular, healthy gambling as a pastime, for it does not cause harm to others. But once someone becomes a problem gambler, the harm

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