Nebraskans have the chance to gamble in casinos. It is now legal to gamble in little ole Nebraska.

Before you haul yourself off to the nearest casino, there are some very important questions to be answered. Specifically, the big question everyone first thinks of when thinking about gambling; is gambling a good idea, or a bad one?

I myself wondered what the answer to this question was when the recent law was passed, so I decided to research it. While I originally thought that the answer was clear, it turns out, the answer, like life, isnt just black and white.

In the article Gambling: a Controlled Substance, William Thompson discusses how gambling, while good in some aspects, is also bad in other aspects, especially unregulated. Thompson explains that in governments that dont oversee gambling, most people dont have issues with gambling. He then, however, states But another 20% overindulge. They incur debts. Four percent cannot stop without the intervention of others. Then there are the 0.5-1% (and these are conservative estimates) who fall into destructive behaviors.

Families are destroyed, friendships broken, employment disrupted. Cycles of deception and crime lead to ruined lives and in many cases, suicide. He describes gambling as a drug and shows that gambling can be very destructive and unregulated.

While the states how gambling can be harmful, he also shows how gambling can be positive, saying that he does not oppose all gambling. He lives in Las Vegas, a city notorious for economic benefits from gambling. He said his community has the fastest growing economy in the country thanks to gambling, and states Gambling provides most of the tax revenues that support our public services. Gambling is responsible for over 60% of our jobs. With William Thompsons article Gambling: a Controlled Substance, it is easy to see how gambling has two sides, much like a coin.

What I learned from my research is that there is no 100% right answer; gambling is harmful and beneficial. In short, while gambling is beneficial to the economy, it can be harmful to people when unregulated. I believe that if gambling is well regulated, then it will be a positive thing. The concern is the people who become addicted to it, which is where I think regulations will help out. Gambling is fun and good for the economy. As long as it is regulated in a way where people who have trouble stopping get help and/or are stopped, I believe that this will be a good thing for Nebraska. Who knows? Maybe when I am old enough to gamble, Ill be the next big jackpot winner. I can only dream.

The rest is here:

There is good and bad to states allowing gambling - Norfolk Daily News