Betting - The Social Impact

Gambling has always been a taboo in america. Though its popularity is ever growing, gambling is severely restricted in America. Its control is largely determined by the power of government, and the ability of state and local governments to monitor and regulate gambling activity in their jurisdictions. Many laws regarding gambling, such as those on the playing blackjack or poker, are significant not only for the people involved in gambling activities, like casinos, bingo, or even poker tournaments, but for the everyday person who wishes to learn whether he can legally begin a gambling pool among his peers at his office or at his friend's house. . .and the list goes on. So how did this all start?The first American gamblers were Irish travelers that made a stop at the Golden Gate bridge to partake of the local craps game. They were only looking for a place to spend the day, and gaming wasn't included. Through the years gambling has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. Las Vegas is the gambling capital of the world, with states in between to represent different regions of the usa.Originally, gambling was regulated by local municipalities that wanted to maintain social order. The first gaming laws were passed in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. These laws prohibited gaming by law and banned individuals from operating gambling facilities within the jurisdiction. But these laws were frequently ignored, and gaming went on. The lack of gaming law continued to allow both residential and non-residential gambling.Betting became more intertwined with organized crime over the course of the next few decades. Gambling became a means to fund organized crime, to launder money, to bribe public officials, and to advance an agenda. Gambling was no longer viewed as a kind of harmless fun, it had begun to become closely associated with crime, with criminals and organized crime winning a lot of money through gambling, and then using that money to further their own cause. Gambling was again outlawed in the states that it had initially been legalized.Gambling then moved into the southern states, where it was most popular. Native Americans in the region used lotteries as a way of survival. The Paiute, Lakota, Dakota, and other indigenous tribes used the lotteries to raise food, provide clothing, and supply shelter. These tribes didn't have access to regular banking until the dawn of the United States government. As the American government started to create institutions for lotteries and other type of gambling, the more people began to patronize them and they began operating in casinos across the nation.The development of legalized gambling caused it to the social impact of greater wealth inequality. This is particularly true in the southern United States. Gambling was no longer limited to the black community, it was getting deeply intertwined with the white middle class. These people enjoyed a feeling of pride and accomplishment from being able to bet on horse races or chance their fortune with exotic sports such as poker. This led to a new set of expectations concerning how people should live their lives and this caused the growth of organized crime in addition to the emergence of many unique sorts of gang activity.One of the most dangerous effects that gambling has had on society is the sum of money that is currently involved in gambling and gaming. Gambling websites have been accused of benefiting from the lack of gambling regulation in the nation. The governments of many countries around the world have been forced to take action against these gambling websites. Many casinos have been shut down since they were being used for criminal activities by organized crime figures. This created a massive gap in the countries' budgets which they were no longer able to function.There are many debates about whether gaming is good or bad for society. The World Health Organization and the WHO are opposing the idea that gambling has a social effects. The argument that these organizations are making is that gambling can lead to a number of health problems which may be avoided if people choose to only gamble within regulated venues. Plenty of the concerns that are being raised have to do with the social effect of people placing plenty of their financial investment into gaming activities.