In states that offer casino gambling, the age ranges from 18 to 21. In most areas, players must be 21 to take part. States have set age limitations when legalizing gambling within their borders and since most casinos offer alcohol sales, they limit the age to 21 so visitors can drink while on the premises. Some states allow 18 year olds to gamble. Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming all have gambling ages of 18. Every other state in the Union has fixed their gambling age at 21, and you cannot get around this in any way. Gaming board can and has imposed fines for allowing underage gambling and allowing persons who can not legally gamble. Yes, it's a bit of an oxymoron as far as gambling in the Bahamas. Residents, citizens, or persons here on a work permit are not allowed to gamble in the casinos, but there are numerous number shops (disguised as web cafes, etc. Gambling has become a $40 billion dollar a year industry in the United States. From 1974 to 1994-20 years-the amount of money Americans legally wagered has risen 2,800 percent, from $17 billion. Gambling Ages By State - Legal Gambling Age For All 50 States There are a lot of different rules when it comes to the legal gambling age for all 50 states. Each of the states in America have different rules when it comes to how old you have to be in order to gamble in it.

1. American Gambling Site
2. Gambling Age In America

The nation of Canada is a unique blend of natural beauty and urban modernity.
From the frozen tundra of Nunavut to the steel and glass skyscrapers of Toronto,
the world’s second-largest country in terms of total area has a lot to brag
about. This sense of national pride also applies to their robust gaming
industry, as well as the gambling laws created to keep it running efficiently.

While other nations across the planet swing wildly from one extreme to the
other on the question of gambling, the citizens and lawmakers of Canada have
managed to take an even-handed approach despite the allure of easy money. In
most cases, the laws remain flexible while still keeping the welfare of the
public in mind at all times.

In this report, it’s my goal to provide you with an overview of the gambling
laws in Canada, specifically as they apply to various forms of gaming. I’ll also
include additional statistics and factoids in order to add a greater layer of
depth and distinguish this document from those of a similar nature.

Please keep in mind, however, that I am not a lawyer. The legal landscape of
gambling in any nation can change rapidly, so even the most well-intentioned
information can become outdated within a short span of time. If you want to be
cautious, it’s always best to consult with an attorney or email a government
agency directly before embarking on the life of a high-rolling Canadian gambler.

Illegal Gambling in Canada

Several decades ago, illegal gambling in Canada was largely the domain of
organized crime. And since most forms of gambling were outlawed throughout the
country prior to 1970, these unsavory individuals had plenty of chances to ply
their trade.

That slowly began to change in 1970, when certain previously-illegal gaming
activities were made accessible to the average citizen. Another major leap took
place in 1985, when provinces and territories were given the right to oversee
activities such as slots, charitable gaming, and lotteries.

While modern organized crime figures still rely on illegal gambling as a
primary source of revenue, the practice has also been adopted by a more
tech-savvy generation of independent crooks. In either case, these unscrupulous
individuals bilk customers, rig sporting events, and avoid paying their fair
share of taxes. This has resulted in a greater burden for city and provincial
law enforcement, as well as national organizations such as the Canadian Security
Intelligence Service and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Criminal Code of Canada deals with a wide array of illegal gambling
offenses, but the following are the most common:

• Section 201 – Includes a large number of offenses, but the most common involves keeping a common gaming or betting house.
• Section 202 – Deals with illegal betting, book-making, and pool-selling.
• Section 206 – Offenses related to lotteries and other games of chance.
• Section 209 – Cheating at games of chance with the intent to defraud either the customer or house.

In July of 2010, the above offenses were adjusted in the Criminal Code to be
considered “serious offenses.” Under the laws of Canada, a serious offense is
indictable under the code or act of Parliament, and the federal government
doesn’t need to bring the matter before Parliament as an amendment to the
existing legislation.

While some serious offenses within Canada carry a maximum prison term of five
years, gambling-related offenses often fall significantly short of this mark.
Most are limited to two years imprisonment, while an offense such as knowingly
keeping a common betting house is limited to no more than six months in jail and
a $5,000 fine.

When compared to their neighbor to the south, Canada has rather lenient
gambling laws. This is in keeping with their desire to be a more progressive
nation, reserving long stretches of prison time for crimes such as murder and
rape.

This certainly applies to major gaming operations such as
land-based casinos, but it also applies to charitable options such as bingo and
raffles.

Online gambling often falls into something of a grey area. Canadian law
doesn’t prohibit the practice of betting via the Internet, but it does require a
service to be licensed or owned by a provincial government in order to be
considered legal. This hasn’t prevented over 1,000 unlicensed offshore sites
from offering their services to Canadian citizens.

One case of prosecution involving online gambling came when British Columbia
went after Delaware-based Starnet Communications International and forced them
to forfeit almost $4 million in revenue. Another example occurred in 2013, when
Ontario authorities conducted 10 raids, charged 19 people, and seized more than
$2 million in funds from users of Platinum Sports Book.

Luckily, despite all this, there are still plenty of safe online gambling sites
for Canadian players. Casumo is currently our most trusted site for Canadian vistors.
If you haven’t already, check them out today!

Gambling in the Provinces

The nation of Canada is divided into 10 provinces, including the following:
Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Colombia, Prince
Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Each
province is a self-governing entity, with power granted to the various
lieutenant governors by the federal government, and any major changes in this
relationship require an alternation to the nation’s constitution.

In this section, we’ll examine the current gambling laws in each of the
nation’s 10 provinces, especially as they relate to the average citizen.

Gambling Laws in Ontario

Ontario has the highest population of all Canadian provinces, and over 90% of
residents in Southern Ontario are within a one-hour drive of a legal gaming
establishment. Considering this last fact, it should come as no surprise that a
2011 poll found that 82.9% of adults within the province had admitted to
gambling at least once during the calendar year. If you want to be included in a
future percentage, give one of these legal forms of gambling a try:

• Casinos

  Over 25 land-based casinos are active in Ontario, and these
  range from privately-owned entities to charitable locations run by the
  government.

• Slot Machines

  In addition to casinos, slots may be found at racetracks
  and other select locations. There are more of these gaming devices in
  Ontario than any other province in Canada.

• Horse Racing

  Quarter horse, Standardbred, and thoroughbred racing is
  available at racetracks from Ottawa to Fort Erie. These tracks enjoyed great
  success when slot machines were added in 1998, but their withdrawal by the
  government in 2013 has resulted in a massive downturn.

• Sports Betting

  Players may use the Pro-Line service to wager on
  multiple types of sports through the Internet or land-based lottery centers.
  At least two games must be wagered on, although the customer can choose from
  a number of betting options such as the point spread or over/under.

• Lottery

  In addition to national lottery drawings, residents can take
  part in provincial drawings that are administered by the Ontario Lottery and
  Gaming Corporation. Ontario boasts one of the largest lottery networks in
  North America, and in 2011 their fiscal revenue was in excess of $3 billion.

• Charitable Gaming

  This includes raffles and bingo. The Ontario Lottery
  and Gaming Corporation oversees licensing of such games, and they also
  manage a number of eBingo websites. Along with various lottery games, bingo
  generates the largest amount of gaming revenue for Ontario.

Gambling Laws in Quebec

Quebec has been offering legal games of chance since 1970, and the available
options have continued to grow over the decades. If you find yourself in this
predominantly French-speaking province, here are the most readily available
forms of legal gambling:

• Casinos

  Quebec currently has nine land-based casinos, and these are
  popular with both locals and neighboring residents in New York, Vermont, New
  Hampshire, and Maine. All activities are overseen by the Quebec Alcohol,
  Racing, and Gaming Commission.

• Horse Racing

  Only one race track currently exists in the state, and it
  primarily offers harness racing. In addition to placing wagers at the track,
  bettors can also pick their favorite ponies at several off-track facilities.

• Lottery

  A wide range of lottery games are offered, from Lotto Max and
  Quebec Extra to Tout ou Rien. Drawings are held on a daily basis, and the
  lottery represents the oldest form of legal gambling within Quebec.

• Online Gambling

  Residents can play at any online site that’s willing
  to accept them, including the government-owned Espacejeux. This may soon
  change, however, as the Quebec government has announced plans to block any
  online gaming site that’s not approved and licensed by Loto-Quebec.

• Sports Betting

  Legal residents of Quebec can wager on sports teams or
  individual athletes through a game known as Mise-O-Jeu. Players can wager on
  two to eight options, although all picks must be successful in order to
  receive a payout. Wagers can be made online or at participating locations
  such as convenience stores.

• Video Lottery Terminals

  Quebec was one of the last provinces to offer
  video lottery terminals. In 1994, it was estimated that over 40,000 illegal
  machines were in operation within the province. That number has dropped
  substantially since over 12,000 VLTs have been legally placed in select
  brasseries, bars, and gaming hall complexes.

• Bingo & Charitable Gaming

  From bingo and Kinzo to raffles, all
  charitable gaming within the province is regulated and licensed by
  Loto-Quebec.

American Gambling Site

Gambling Laws in Nova Scotia

The second-smallest province in Canada in terms of area, Nova Scotia is known
for agriculture and fishing. They also have a respectable gaming scene, with 87%
of adults playing games of chance at least once a year (for an average annual
expenditure of $609). The following forms of legal gaming are available
throughout the province:

• Lottery & Charitable Gaming

  Video and ticket lotteries, as well as
  other charitable games such as bingo, fall under the domain of the Atlantic
  Lottery Corporation. Tickets can be purchased online or from over 1,000
  retailers throughout the province.

• Casinos

  There are two land-based casinos in Nova Scotia, and both are
  government owned. Casino Nova Scotia has locations in Halifax and Sydney,
  and both facilities offer traditional slots and table games. The average
  payback percentage for slots, as reported by the Nova Scotia Provincial
  Lotteries and Casino Corporation, is 92%.

• Horse Racing

  Three legal horse racing tracks are currently available
  in Nova Scotia: Inverness Raceway, Northside Downs, and Truro Raceway. A
  handful of teletheatres are also available for those who want to bet but
  can’t make it to the track.

• Sports Betting

  The Atlantic Lottery Corporation uses the Pro-Line
  system to allow residents to wager on sports. A minimum of two athletes or
  teams must be wagered on in parlay fashion, and this is common throughout
  the nation. Customers must be 19 or older in order to participate.

• Online Gambling

  The province offers no gaming sites of their own, but
  residents can still seek out thousands of offshore casinos and sportsbooks
  without fear of legal troubles.

• Video Lottery Terminals

  There are over 2,700 VLTs in Nova Scotia at
  more than 300 licensed retailers. The average prize payout ranges from 93%
  to 95% of the total wagers. Legal games are only found in age-restricted
  locations such as bars and liquor stores.

Gambling Laws in New Brunswick

Even though the population of the province stands at less than one-million,
residents have a wide range of legal gambling activities to choose from. These
include:

• Video Lottery Terminals

  In 1990, New Brunswick became the first
  province to introduce video lottery terminals. The minimum payback
  percentage required by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation is 80%. Almost all
  of the province’s 2,000 machines, however, have a 93% payout.

• Casinos

  The only casino in the province is located in Moncton, and it
  contains an assortment of slots, table games, and poker.

• Horse Racing

  Permanent racetracks are located in Saint John and
  Fredericton, while the Great Western Fair circuit brings the excitement of
  racing to various regions of the province on a rotating basis. As of 2015,
  off-track betting facilities were available in Dieppe and Quispamsis.

• Online Gambling

  Residents can choose from a large number of offshore
  casinos and sportsbooks, although none of these are regulated by the
  government. In recent years, New Brunswick has openly discussed the idea of
  launching their own casino website in the mold of Manitoba and British
  Columbia.

• Sports Betting

  The Atlantic Lottery oversees Pro-Line, a parlay-style
  sports betting game that can be purchased online or through hundreds of
  licensed dealers.

• Lottery

  Lottery tickets can be legally purchased at over 900
  land-based dealers. Drawings and payouts are conducted by the Atlantic
  Lottery Corporation.

• Charitable Gaming

  Over 800 charitable licenses are currently issued to
  non-profit organizations within the province. Raffles are the most common,
  although bingo remains the most popular gambling activity among adults 65 or
  older.

Gambling Laws in Manitoba

Gambling is legal in this western Canadian province, and activities are
overseen by the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba (which was created in
2014 by combining the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and the Manitoba Gaming
Control Commission). Residents and visitors can enjoy the following legal forms
of gambling within the borders of the province:

• Online Gambling

  After British Columbia enjoyed success with a
  government-owned gaming website, Manitoba adopted the same business model in
  2013. While over 1,000 unlicensed casinos and sportsbooks are available from
  offshore operators, PlayNow Manitoba is the only one operating within the
  borders of the province.

• Casinos

  Manitoba has a mixture of government-owned and First Nations
  casinos. Winnipeg has two of these facilities, and both are owned by the
  provincial government.

• Horse Racing

  Both thoroughbred and Standardbred races are conducted in
  the province, and Assiniboia Downs is the only permanent track for such
  events. Winnipeg has several off-track betting facilities, and both live and
  simulcast events are overseen by the Manitoba Horse Racing Commission.

• Lottery

  The Western Canada Lottery Corporation offers lottery tickets
  and scratch-off cards. These can be purchased online or at licensed
  retailers such as convenience stores.

• Charitable Gaming

  Not-for-profit organizations within Manitoba can
  apply for a license to conduct one of the following forms of charitable
  gaming: bingo, raffles, breakopen, Monte Carlo, Calcutta auction, sports
  draft, and Texas Hold’em poker tournament.

• Sports Betting

  The Sport Select system allows players to wager up to
  $250 per day on two or more sporting event outcomes. The minimum age to play
  is 19, and participants can choose from options such as props, pools, and
  over/unders.

• Video Lottery Terminals

  These games of chance are confined to VLT
  lounges throughout the province and overseen by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.
  The three most popular versions of the game are spinning reel, poker, and
  keno.

Gambling Laws in British Colombia

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation has been offering gaming to BC
residents for more than three decades, and the available gaming options have
continued to grow over the years. Whether you live in British Columbia or
neighboring U.S. states such as Oregon and Washington, here are the legal forms
of available gaming:

• Lottery

  The British Columbia Lottery Corporation has been offering
  government sanctioned games since 1985. Players must be 19 or older to buy a
  ticket, and winners have one year from the draw date to claim their prize.

• Horse Racing

  Fraser Downs is the only active track in BC. For those
  who don’t want to drive to Surrey, off-track simulcasts can also be enjoyed
  at over 15 locations throughout the province.

• Casinos

  There are over 15 casinos within the province, with a single
  facility belonging to the First Nations. The largest in terms of gaming
  space is Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, and it contains 1,000 slots, 70 table
  games, a poker room, and 8 baccarat tables in a high-limit room.

• Charitable Gaming

  Non-profit organizations may apply for a license to
  conduct one of the following charitable events: ticket raffles, bingo,
  poker, wheel of fortune, and social occasion casinos.

• Online Gambling

  The only regulated and entirely legal gambling site in
  BC is PlayNow, which is owned by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.
  Launched in 2004, the site contains sports betting, lottery, bingo, poker,
  and casino games.

• Sports Betting

  Tickets are available in convenience stores and other
  licensed locations. Players must wager on at least two games, and most
  contests require a 100% winning percentage in order to receive a payout.

Gambling Laws in Prince Edward Island

Consisting of one major island and 231 smaller ones, Prince Edward Island is
the smallest province in Canada. The Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission
has been overseeing gaming in the region since its creation in 1976. Even though
the province consistently has one of the lowest gambling rates, the following
types of gaming are offered:

• Sports Betting

  The Pro-Line service allows anyone 19 or older to make
  parlay bets on various sporting events. Tickets may be purchased online or
  at licensed land-based retailers.

• Lottery

  The provincial lottery is operated by the Atlantic Lottery
  Corporation.

• Horse Racing

  There are two race tracks on Prince Edward Island:
  Charlottetown Driving Park and Summerside Raceway. Unfortunately, there are
  no off-track betting facilities currently in operation.

• Video Lottery Terminals

  In 2003, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation
  became the sole VLT operator for Prince Edward Island. In 2008, an
  initiative was enacted to reduce video lottery sites by 50% and the number
  of terminals by 20%. In 2014, there were 268 terminals at 39 sites, and
  rules were relaxed to allow these devices to operate every day of the week.

• Charitable Games

  Non-profit organization can apply for a license to
  conduct charitable games such as bingo, raffles, and lottery-style contests.

• Online Gambling

  Offshore gambling is unregulated, but it remains
  available to any PEI resident who can locate a site willing to accept their
  patronage.

• Casino

  The only legal casino is actually a “racino,” as it combines
  harness racing and casino-style gaming. Blackjack, poker, and slots are
  available, and anyone over the age of 19 can take part.

Gambling Laws in Newfoundland and Labrador

Located in the easternmost section of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador
allows most forms of gambling within its borders. The most notable exception is
land-based casinos, although First Nations tribes do have the right to open
their own facilities. The following forms of gambling are currently legal within
the province:

• Charitable Gaming

  Charitable gaming such as raffles and bingo are
  overseen throughout the province by the Department of Government Services,
  and over 3,800 charitable licenses are currently in use.

• Lottery

  Managed by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, this provincial
  lottery offers top jackpots ranging from $10 million to $50 million. Tickets
  may be purchased online or at one of over 1,000 licensed retailers.

• Horse Racing

  St. John’s Racing and Entertainment Centre is the only
  legal horse racing track currently operating in Newfoundland. In addition to
  live racing, patrons can also take advantage of simulcasting facilities to
  enjoy races from other Canadian tracks, as well as annual events such as the
  Kentucky Derby. This form of entertainment is co-regulated by Standardbred
  Canada and the Canadian Pari-mutuel Agency.

• Video Lottery Terminals

  Overseen by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation,
  more than 2,000 of these devices are present at 500 age-restricted retailers
  across the province. The minimum payout percentage is set at 80%, while the
  more generous machines have a maximum of 93%.

• Online Gaming

  Since land-based casinos are currently banned in the
  province, numerous citizens turn to the Internet to get their gaming fix.
  While no sportsbooks or virtual casinos are located in Newfoundland, there
  are over 1,000 offshore sites willing to accept players.

• Sports Betting

  The Pro-Line service offers parlay sports wagering to
  anyone who meets the minimum age of 19 (which is also the legal drinking age
  in Canada). Tickets can be purchased for as little as $2, while the maximum
  daily wager is capped at $250.

Gambling Laws in Saskatchewan

According to a study conducted by Statistics Canada, residents of
Saskatchewan spend more per household on gambling than any other province. If
you happen to be a citizen of this sunniest part of Canada, here are the legal
gaming pastimes currently available:

• Video Lottery Terminals

  These machines have been present in the
  province since 1993. A cap of 4,000 machines has been set, and there were
  3,991 at 620 sites as of March 2015. Revenue from the games goes to the
  government’s General Revenue Fund. For 2014-15, the provincial net income
  from VLTs was $179.6 million.

• Charitable Gaming

  Any not-for-profit organization may apply with the
  Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority for a license to conduct bingo or
  raffles.

• Casinos

  The province has six casinos run by the Saskatchewan Indian
  Gaming Authority, as well as two more operated by the Saskatchewan Gaming
  Corporation. In the case of First Nations casinos, revenue is split between
  the First Nations Trust, the government’s General Revenue Fund, and
  Community Development Corporations.

• Lottery

  This form of gambling has been available in the province since
  1974. Operated by Saskatchewan Lotteries, proceeds are used to fund more
  than 12,000 groups.

• Sports Betting

  Sports Select offers legal parlay betting on the
  following sports: baseball, basketball, hockey, football, and soccer. Wagers
  generally range from $2 to $100.

• Online Gambling

  While online gaming providers are prohibited from
  being based in the province, offshore sportsbooks and casinos are still free
  to offer their services to residents.

• Horse Racing

  There are three legal tracks operating in the province,
  although the West Meadows Raceway was forced to temporarily halt business in
  2014. A few provincial teletheatres also exist, allowing patrons to take
  advantage of off-track betting facilities.

Gambling Laws in Alberta

The largest of the Prairie Provinces in terms of population, Alberta has a
long tradition of sports and gambling. They receive over 4% of their budget from
gambling revenue, which is more than any other province in the nation.
Unfortunately, a 2013 study showed that half the revenue came from problem
gamblers, which means the province has a long way to go in terms of identifying
and treating gambling addiction. Some of the most popular legal forms of gaming
in Alberta include the following:

• Horse Racing

  Legal horse racing is available in Alberta at the
  following: Alberta Downs, Century Downs, and Northlands Park. In addition,
  15 teletheatres are also available in such diverse locations as Leduc and
  Peace River.

• Video Lottery Terminals

  Managed by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor
  Commission, these devices are located at age-restricted, liquor-licensed
  facilities across the province. Retailers are limited to 10 machines, while
  gaming centers can have from 15 to 30. Over 6,000 are currently in
  operation.

• Sports Betting

  The Sport Select service allows players to wager on two
  or more games in parlay style. No more than $250 in wagers can be made per
  day.

• Casinos

  Over 25 casinos are located in Alberta. Most of these are
  charitable operations, which means the casino splits the profits with
  various charities throughout the region. A couple of government-owned
  casinos are also present, as well as a handful that are operated by the
  First Nations.

• Online Gambling

  Residents of Alberta can gamble at online casinos and
  sportsbooks without any limitations.

• Lottery

  Drawings occur daily and are overseen by the Western Canada
  Lottery Corporation.

• Charitable Gaming

  In addition to most of the casinos in the province,
  Alberta also offers legal charitable gaming such as bingo and pull tickets
  to qualified non-profit groups.

Gambling in the Territories

In addition to the provinces, Canada includes the territories of Yukon,
Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories. These areas are smaller in terms of
overall population (a combined 107,265 in May 2011), and they are largely
administered by the federal government. To many Canadian residents and
foreigners, this entire region is simply known as “The North.”

In this section, we’ll look at the gambling laws of Canada as they apply to
each territory. While opportunities for legal games of chance are rare in these
regions, they still exist if you know where to look.

Gambling Laws in the Yukon

With a sparse population of just over 34,000, the Yukon is not known as the
gambling center of Canada. A few legal opportunities do exist, however,
especially for those living in and around the territorial capitol of Whitehorse.

• Charitable Gaming

  Under the law of the Yukon, only non-profit groups
  are allowed to host charitable gambling events as a fundraising method.
  These groups must first be approved by the Registrar of Lotteries, and they
  must also obtain a license for bingo, raffle, or lottery. In addition to
  giving away money, lotteries and raffles in this territory are also known
  for giving away meat and other forms of food.

• Lottery

  The Western Canada Lottery Association gives Yukon residents
  the opportunity to win millions of dollars through the purchase of a single
  ticket.

• Three-Day Casinos

  Permanent casinos are not allowed in the Yukon,
  although temporary gaming establishments may be permitted for no more than
  three days at a time. These events require a casino license, and they can
  only be conducted by a religious or charitable not-for-profit organization.
  Games such as blackjack, roulette, and wheels of fortune are permitted, and
  all patrons must be at least 19 years of age to participate.

  The only semi-exception to this rule is Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling
  Hall. This Dawson City landmark holds the distinction of being Canada’s
  oldest casino, and it operates during the months of May through September.
  All proceeds are invested back into the town, making it a permanent
  not-for-profit structure. Available games include roulette, poker,
  blackjack, and slots.

• Sports Betting

  Legal sports betting is available through a service
  known as Sport Select, allowing residents to wager on their favorite CFL or
  NHL teams (among others). Options such as futures and over/unders are
  available, although the customer is always required to make a parlay bet on
  two or more teams.

• Online Gambling

  Residents can legally place bets over the Internet,
  whether it involves an online sportsbook or casino. It doesn’t matter if the
  provider is located within Canada or at an offshore location.

Gambling Laws in Nunavut

Nunavut is the newest and least populated territory in Canada, and the
capitol of Iqaluit only has slightly more than 7,000 inhabitants. Despite its
remote location and harsh weather conditions, the region offers a surprising
number of legal gambling options to its citizens. While each of the following
are legal under Yukon law, keep in mind that the limited population might
prevent all of these options from being continuously available.

• Video Lottery Terminals & Slots

  These free-standing games of chance
  with random number generators can sometimes be found in bars and taverns
  throughout Nunavut.

• Charitable Gaming

  This applies to bingo, pull-tickets, poker
  tournaments, raffles, and temporary casino-style gaming. Residents must be
  at least 16 to play pull-ticket games, and charitable casinos must cease
  operation by 2am on Monday through Friday and midnight on Saturday. For
  Texas Hold’em tournaments, the maximum entry fee per player is limited to
  $100.

• Lottery

  Residents can play the national lottery conducted by the
  Western Canada Lottery Corporation. Tickets can be purchased at licensed
  retailers or through the official online site.

• Sports Betting

  Despite a complete absence of professional, semi-pro,
  or collegiate sports teams, Nunavut residents may wager on everything from
  basketball to American football courtesy of Sport Select. This service is
  available online and at select retailers, and it allows customers to choose
  from props, pools, point spreads, over/unders, and several more options. A
  minimum of two games must be wagered on for any given ticket, and all
  selections must be correct in order for the player to receive a payout.

• Online Gambling

  Just like in other parts of the nation, Internet
  gambling is legal within the borders of Nunavut. This applies to both online
  sportsbooks and casinos, although those in more remote locations may have to
  struggle with a lack of Internet service.

• Horse Racing

  While this sport is allowed in Nunavut, there are no
  permanent tracks or regularly-scheduled events within the territory.

• Private Wagers between Residents

  This is one of the most common forms
  of gambling due to the small size of the territory, and private wagers
  between adults are not subject to government regulations.

Gambling Laws in the Northwest Territories

The most populous of the three Canadian territories, the NWT is comprised
primarily of Aboriginal peoples. The climate is harsh by most standards, ranging
from polar to subarctic. But despite unpleasant weather conditions and differing
cultural backgrounds, gambling and games of chance are still popular with local
residents.

According to territorial law, the following pastimes are currently legal
within the Northwest Territories:

• Lottery Games

  This category includes casino-style lotteries, bingo,
  raffles, and Nevada or pull-tickets. These may only be conducted by
  non-profit organizations, and a license is required before they can be
  legally offered. All lottery games within the territory are regulated by the
  department of Municipal and Community Affairs, although they are also an
  associate member of the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.

• Land-based Casinos

  There are no laws prohibiting land-based casinos in
  the Northwest Territories. Despite this fact, there seems little interest in
  building such a facility due to the low population and remote location.

• Sports Betting

  Governed by the NWT Lotteries, this form of gambling is
  legally available online or at land-based retailers through the Sport Select
  brand. Players can wager on the results on most major sporting events and
  choose from a variety of options such as over/under and point spread. A
  maximum of $250 can be wagered at a single location per day, and each ticket
  must be in the form of a parlay (which requires the customer to correctly
  predict the outcome of two or more events).

• Online Gambling

  From online sportsbetting to virtual casinos, all
  forms of Internet gaming can be legally enjoyed by the residents of the
  Northwest Territories.

Conclusion

Canada is a diverse country that promotes the celebration of various
cultural, religious, and racial backgrounds. The same can be said of their
gambling landscape, as a wide range of gaming pastimes are legally available
throughout the nation’s 10 provinces and three territories.

Charitable and online gambling are two of the most common, with the former
providing much-needed income for non-profit organizations such as churches. The
latter is available throughout the country with few regulations, which marks a
distinct difference between Canada and the heavily-regulated Internet gaming
climate of the United States.

Casinos are also prevalent and legal throughout the nation, especially in
southern provinces such as Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. These come in
all shapes in sizes, from those owned by First Nations tribes to establishments
operated by the Canadian government. In addition to local residents, casinos
near the U.S. border also draw a sizeable number of foreign patrons.

Unlike the United States, sports betting is widely available throughout the
provinces and territories of Canada. However, this form of gambling is commonly
limited to parlay bets, requiring customers to successfully wager on two or more
games in order to receive a cash payout.

Ultimately, the nation of Canada seems to have found a perfect approach to
conducting legal gambling within its borders. Most forms of gaming are allowed,
although reasonable laws and regulations exist to keep the hobby from becoming a
detriment to its citizenry. While no system is perfect, the model conducted by
the lawmakers in the Great White North stands as a shining example for all other
nations.

Article ID: DE209 By: Rex M. Rogers

Summary

If baseball once was America’s national pastime, it’s been replaced by a $550 billion-per-year obsession — gambling. Gambling feeds the self-indulgent, instant-gratification mindset that has plagued America in recent decades. Beneath its glittery surface lurk the parallel tragedies of increasing addiction and a decreasing devotion to spirituality. Most Christian churches have been silent about gambling. Scripture is not. Even without a direct commandment, “Thou shalt not gamble,” the Bible offers numerous principles that militate against the practice. Informed Christians will challenge such social evils as state-sponsored gambling and the use of gambling for fundraising. Gambling is a bankrupt abandonment of reason and religion, and in the long run everyone loses.

Mark Twain shrewdly observed that “the best throw at dice is to throw them away.”¹ Americans no longer agree. Gambling is the newest Great American Pastime.

State lotteries began in 1964 with New Hampshire, and now bring in $30 billion per year in 37 states and the District of Columbia.² Some 55 million Americans play lotteries once per month, spending $88 million per day — more than they spend per day on groceries.³

What began as a trickle with state lotteries became a flash flood in 1988 when Native American tribes began taking advantage of the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which permitted them to operate casinos on tribal lands. Nearly 300 Indian-run casinos now exist in 28 states with 186 of the 557 federally recognized tribes participating. About 30 casinos are opening per year,⁴ and additional tribes are vying for a stake in what some have called “the new buffalo.”⁵

Gambling expenditures now top $550 billion per year.⁶ That’s more money than Americans spend per year on films, books, amusements, and music entertainment combined. It’s about $1.5 billion per day or an increase of roughly 3,000 percent in the past 20 years.⁷

With the exception of horse and dog racing, gambling is increasing in every form. Riverboat, dockside, and other off-shore gambling enterprises, including cruise ships, are being proposed in several states as “limited” gambling.

Off-track, parimutuel, jai alai, keno, and video betting are also increasing. So are raffles and bingo. Business Week observed that gambling outlets are becoming “almost ubiquitous” as “mob-affiliated bookies and numbers runners are being supplanted by state governments, charitable and religious groups, and blue-chip entertainment-leisure conglomerates that say they’re in the ‘gaming’ business.”⁸

THE VICE OF CHOICE

Some 95 percent of American citizens have gambled at some time in their lives. About 82 percent have played the lottery, 75 percent have played slot machines, 50 percent have bet on horse or dog races, 44 percent have gambled with cards, and 34 percent gamble via bingo. Approximately 26 percent have bet on sports events. About 74 percent of the American adult population have gambled in casinos. Polls indicate that at least 89 percent of the American population approves of casino gambling.⁹

The acceptance of gambling into everyday life is a historic shift in cultural philosophy. University of Nevada, Las Vegas, professor William N. Thompson observed that “the era of expanded legalized gambling has coincided with a trend toward increased permissiveness in society. There certainly is a connection between attitudes about lifestyle, sex, pornography — even abortion and occasional drug use — and attitudes toward gambling. The notion that government has no business in our bedrooms relates to the notion that government has no business telling us how to spend our leisure time and our own money as long as we are doing so without coercion or harm to others.”¹⁰

The ethic of self-denial, saving, and capital accumulation is being replaced with a hedonistic consumerism, what Christopher Lasch called the “culture of narcissism.”¹¹ Deferred gratification is shelved in favor of instant demand. Americans want more, and they want it now.

Many Americans no longer work for future earthly or spiritual rewards. They only consume and receive less and less satisfaction from it.¹²

The philosophy of gambling undercuts one’s ability and desire to defer gratification in order to accomplish a goal. Individual enterprise, thrift, effort, and self-denial are set aside for chance gain, immediate satisfaction, and self-indulgence. In this sense, gambling exemplifies a reversal of American values.¹³

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM?

Whittier Law School gambling expert I. Nelson Rose believes a third wave of legalized gambling is washing over the United States.¹⁴ The first wave began in colonial America when lottery management companies took their place among the largest early-nineteenth-century businesses.¹⁵ A healthy economy together with lottery corruption contributed to the decline of legal lotteries by the 1820s.

The second wave of legal gambling began when Southern states looked for revenue after the Civil War. Gambling was a major diversion in late-nineteenth-century Western gold and silver mining camps. Legalized gambling’s second wave of popularity began losing strength in the 1880s with the Louisiana State Lottery scandal (in which local lottery fundraisers evolved into mail fraud and criminal interstate commerce involving corrupt government officials, intrigue, and murder). By 1894, state lotteries were condemned by law, and 36 states adopted antilottery text in their state constitutions.¹⁶

While gambling has been legal in (and largely limited to) Nevada since 1931, the third wave of legalized gambling in the United States began in 1964 with the inception of the New Hampshire State Lottery. By 1984, a majority of states had legalized lotteries.¹⁷

Bingo was legalized in 1937 in Rhode Island. Some 46 states, the District of Columbia, and all the Canadian provinces now have legalized bingo.¹⁸

Horse race betting is legal in 42 states and all Canadian provinces, dog race betting in 19 states, and jai alai games in four states. All 10 Canadian provinces and 48 American states now permit some form of legal gambling. By the year 2000, some experts have predicted that 40 percent of U.S. households will be participating in legalized commerical gambling.¹⁹

Legalized commercial gambling is now growing at breakneck speed, spurred by cash–hungry governments, gambling industry promotion of “gaming” as entertainment, and the appeal of new, high-tech video gambling. Some antigambling counselors believe that “decades of church–sponsored gambling [have] also tended to lend approval to games of chance.”²⁰

Only two states still maintain a no-legal-gambling policy: Hawaii and Utah. Hawaii debates the matter periodically. While 60 percent of Hawaiians polled favor a lottery, enough citizens are concerned about damaging the state’s image as an island paradise that lotteries and other commercial gambling are consistently rejected.²¹

Eugene Martin Christiansen, a gambling industry consultant, believes America’s new love affair with gambling “is part of a fundamental change that is irreversible at this point because the country is changing with fewer people going to church, more older people with time and money on their hands, and especially, with state lottery advertising campaigns that make it seem that buying lottery tickets is almost a patriotic duty.”²²

LOSING THE BET

Gambling is a spiritual and financial timebomb in a pretty package, and no demographic group is immune to the social pathologies associated with it.²³ Compulsive gambling is increasing rapidly in all population groups, even among teens.

The fastest growing “addiction” among high school and college-age young people is problem gambling, with as much as seven percent or 1.3 million teens considered addicted. Dr. Durand Jacobs, a pioneer in the treatment of problem gambling, believes the rate among teens is at least 10 percent, about twice the rate among adults.²⁴

Howard Schaffer, director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Addiction Studies, predicted, “We will face in the next decade or so more problems with youth gambling than we’ll face with drug use.”²⁵ The National Institute of Mental Health notes that “addiction” to gambling is growing fastest among teenagers.²⁶ Suicide rates are twice as high among teenagers with gambling problems,²⁷ and teenagers are nearly two-and-one-half times as likely as adults to become compulsive gamblers.²⁸

Durand Jacobs noted that “public understanding of gambling is where our understanding of alcoholism was some 40 or 50 years ago. Unless we wake up soon to gambling’s darker side, we’re going to have a whole new generation lost to this addiction.”²⁹

From lotteries in the 1960s to casinos in the 1990s, the gambling industry has grown more rapidly and more explosively than any business in American history. Legalized commercial gambling is now one of the largest industries in the U.S. leisure economy.³⁰

IT’S NOT IN THE CARDS

While the tidal wave of legalized commercial gambling has engulfed the country, the Christian community has greeted this development with a deafening silence. A few local battles have taken place, and during the past two years, Christian leaders such as Gary Bauer, James Dobson, D. James Kennedy, and Ralph Reed have begun to speak out, but so far gambling has garnered very little national attention.

Several reasons may explain why Christians have been rather slow to respond to the spread of legalized commercial gambling:

1.) The conservative Christian “agenda” is packed, focusing on issues like abortion, pornography, crime, gun control, sex education, creationism, “family values,” and prayer in public schools.

2. Conservative Christians, particularly those who call themselves fundamentalists, have been historically reticent to “get involved in politics.”

3.There are no direct biblical commands declaring gambling a sin. And unlike narcotics, which exercise an immediate negative impact upon the user, the harmful effects of habitual gambling take longer to reveal themselves. Moral arguments against gambling are, therefore, more difficult to develop. In a recent survey, George Barna found that only 28 percent of “born again” Christians believe casinos should be illegal in the United States.³¹

4.) Christians are just as materialistic as everyone else. The lure of quick riches entices Christians to gamble too.

For these reasons as well as others, theological disapproval does not always translate to social or political opposition. Christians seem to be just as uninformed and unconcerned as everyone else.

THUS SAITH THE LORD

Gambling Age In America

There is no “Eleventh Commandment” in the Bible saying “Thou shalt not gamble.” However, gambling violates at least five doctrines of Scripture: the sovereignty of God, stewardship, covetousness, brotherly love, and God’s instruction not to be brought under the power of anything.

Sovereignty of God

Belief in luck and belief in a sovereign God are mutually exclusive, for if an omniscient, omnipotent Creator God exists then luck makes no sense. Things don’t “just happen.” Nothing — including the secondary causes operative in the universe (the “laws” of nature and human choices) — happens outside of God’s will and disposition. So belief in God not only dispells any idea of luck, it also rejects any idea of chance as a determining factor in natural events or people’s destiny. “Depending upon luck and chance is a philosophy which deifies an impersonal view of life and of reality.”³² Any trust in luck rather than God is therefore a form of idolatry.

What appears to be chance to the finite human mind is known to a sovereign God. Casting of lots, for example, is a biblical illustration not of gambling (for no money or other value was placed at risk in hopes of greater gain) but of individuals trusting a sovereign God to direct the “chance” disposition or direction of the lay of the lots. People used “chance” to understand God’s will. Their faith was not in chance but in God. But belief in chance as fate stands in direct opposition to a purposeful creation, ordered and directed by the Sovereign God of the universe. Chance without God is the personification of anarchy and nihilism. God controls, not chance (Amos 3:6).³³

The idea that events are ultimately disposed merely by chance is akin to superstition. Pagan superstition is a violation of God’s will. Worshipping the gods of luck and chance is an offense to His character. Gambling is a kind of “secularized divination.”³⁴ It promotes a world view in direct contradiction to biblical Christianity.

Stewardship

God says in Proverbs that “he who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (12:11). People often chase fantasies, yielding to the lure of quick riches, the “something-for-nothing” enchantment. But God gives people time, talent, and treasure with an expectation of accountability (Matt. 25:14–30). The Bible teaches that we are to use our God–given wealth to support our families, God’s work, the government, and the needy.

Gambling can undermine the foundations of Christian stewardship — work, rationality, and responsibility. But work is both a command and a gift of God (2 Thess. 3:6–12). And reason is an essential part of being human. “Irresponsibility is man’s abdication of his humanity. We are made to be moral decision-making creatures.”³⁵

Covetousness

Gambling feeds covetousness, the opposite of God’s call for contentment (Phil. 4:11–12). It masquerades as harmless fun while it eventually sucks the dollars and sometimes the life out of those who embrace it (1 Tim. 6:6–10). The basis of all antigambling legislation is the necessity of curbing or controlling covetousness, the very natural and selfish desire to get something for nothing.³⁶

Love Thy Neighbor

Gambling creates a condition in which one person’s gain is necessarily many other persons’ loss. As such, gambling militates against brotherly love, justice, and mercy (Matt. 22:37–40; Mic. 6:8).

Gambling substitutes love of self or love of money for love of neighbor (Rom. 14:21; 15:1; 1 Tim. 6:6–10). Martin Luther said that “money won by gambling is not without self seeking and love of self is not without sin.”³⁷ Gambling, unlike legitimate business practices wherein both parties gain, creates a condition in which individuals are willingly duped of their resources in a something-for-nothing exchange.

To take from one’s neighbor in an unfair exchange is not love, to set up a system in which those least able to afford it lose their livelihood is not justice, and to continue operating a system that exploits human weakness while promoting personal pleasure and profit over others’ pain and loss is not mercy. While it is true that the legitimate marketplace can operate without regard for the Christian value of love of neighbor, this is not an essential and unavoidable character of business. In gambling, love of neighbor is not only impossible, it is systematically suppressed.

Mastery of the Will

Gambling is potentially habitual, what Pascal called a “fatal fascination,” like a moth’s fascination for the candle.³⁸ Some even label the problem an addiction. Yet God makes it clear in His Word that Christians are not to allow their minds or bodies to be mastered by anything other than the Holy Spirit of God (1 Cor. 6:12). Anything else leads to idolatry.

The Bible’s doctrines pertaining to the use of money indicate that morality and money are not mutually exclusive. God reveals the former so that mankind will know how to use the latter. Too often, though, people want the money without the morality.

Since governments are comprised of people, it should come as no surprise that they want money without morality too. In gambling, that’s exactly what they’ve got.

GOVERNMENT’S GOLDEN GOOSE

Governments are looking for easy money, so they sell their souls for a promise of riches. Whether government should enhance its revenues with gambling monies — the losses of its citizens — is a moral question, not just an economic one, no matter why people gamble. So far, except for a few scattered antigambling victories, money has bested morality in most contests for legislative hearts.

State government-sponsored gambling turns state government into a huckster. And legalization is followed by legitimation. Gambling is being socially legitimized by virtue of its governmental sanction. A one-time social evil is being transformed into acceptable social policy.

Governments facing budget deficits and antitax sentiment see gambling revenues as a painless panacea. States promote gambling, then use the revenues as a supplementary, “voluntary” tax. Gambling interests sell commercial gambling as a way of salvaging Rust Belt industrial cities.³⁹ Then they lure legislators and voters by associating gambling with some noble purpose like public education or better roads. Such arguments provide a politically palatable “moral justification” that helps dilute or mute opposition to gambling.

In practice, however, state legislatures time and again have refused to stick to promises of earmarked funds. Instead they let gambling revenues pay for promised public works and use general funds for other purposes. Gambling revenues become just another part of the state’s giant budgetary pie.⁴⁰

In the United States, gambling operations vigorously promote their games, and states are counted among the owners and promoters. There are no governmental restrictions on advertising, free alcohol as a stimulus to gambling, or access to credit on gambling casino premises.⁴¹

States do not simply accommodate peoples’ desire to gamble. They encourage gambling. In doing so, states foster superstitious, magical thinking.⁴²

Today, gambling is no longer just a periodic, if questionable, leisure activity fulfilling the purposes of a few individuals. Gambling is being changed into routine behavior that serves the economic ends of casino operators and state governments. The gambling industry now provides a transformed set of more aggressive, commercially profitable games aimed at a mass public.

State-sanctioned gambling has become little more than a set of gambling opportunities designed to produce maximum losses from the maximum number of people. Government has a vested interest in the losses of consumers. This together with the fact that, with a very few exceptions, no wealth is created by gambling means that state governments are no longer acting as representatives of the public interest.⁴³ State governments have joined the gambling industry in mass civic exploitation.

Crapped Out

Gambling associates itself with a number of social problems and pathologies, including alcohol and drug abuse, prostitution, violent crime, embezzlement and bankruptcy, theft, spouse and child abuse, and pornography and obscenity. This is why gambling is not a “victimless crime.” What appears to be harmless play with one’s own money becomes a destructive and costly influence on the person and the community.

Gambling sows the seeds of its own demise. Gambling begets gambling. It produces no new wealth.⁴⁴ The gambling industry is by nature parasitical and predatory. It cannibalizes rather than nurtures local economies and, worse, gambling operations frequently do so while claiming to benefit some universal good like education, economic progress, the environment, or the elderly. Gambling is a fiscal shell game.

So it’s something of a social and political disgrace to see America’s state and local governments buy into and promote gambling with the enthusiasm of pit bosses. It further gambles away the credibility of state and local governments at a time when Americans’ confidence in the efficacy of political institutions is already low.⁴⁵

Gambling creates so many negative side-effects that businesses will eventually be forced to look for nongambling states. Economist John Warren Kindt predicts that long-term, gambling-free states will enjoy proportionately fewer personal and business bankruptcies, stronger financial institutions, more vibrant economies, and better tourist, community, and business environments.⁴⁶

I. Nelson Rose says that legalized gambling tends to self-destruct. He believes that a cheating or corruption scandal will trigger the next gaming industry crash in about 35 years.⁴⁷

CasiNO!

A backlash may already be starting. During the past three years, gambling proponents have lost more initiatives than they’ve won. In particular, the National Association against Legalized Gambling, directed by Tom Grey, has been instrumental in winning some 47 statewide and congressional referenda and legislative battles in 27 different states, losing only three. In 1996, only one of seven statewide gambling referenda passed.⁴⁸

To turn the tide of legalized commercial gambling, I suggest that Christians (and other concerned citizens) work to do the following:

1.) Eliminate state government sponsorship and promotion of all forms of gambling. This can be accomplished in one of two ways: (1) States could privatize state lotteries, thereby getting states out of the ownership and advertising of gambling activities. (2) States could suspend state lotteries, lottos, and other forms of state-sponsored gambling, including race tracks.

Through astute state budgeting, legislators would be required to replace revenues currently generated by state gambling enterprises. In most cases, other state programs will either need to be eliminated or supported by tax increases because states have become dependent on gambling revenues. This, of course, can be politically painful. But it is no more so than the stressful political maneuvering and consensus building necessary to change or eliminate any other program already in the budget.

Even raising taxes is more acceptable than maintaining state lotteries and other gambling operations. It’s certainly more equitable than the support and promotion of games that pilfer money from the electorate.

2.) Stop state-approved expansion of legalized commercial gambling. At a minimum, state legislatures should appoint state gambling commissions charged with evaluating the impact of gambling, in particular casino gambling, on the state population and economy. Such commissions should seek independently generated data, not just information readily provided by the gambling industry.

A state ban on further approval and development of casino gambling would provide time for public and private agencies to study the economic and social impact of gambling on communities. It would also protect communities from the unrepresentative and unfair legal leverage available to Native American tribal groups under the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

3.) Legally clarify the 1988 Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. States should work toward preserving state and local authority as well as Native American citizens’ rights to free and fair access to the political process. Casino gambling discussions too frequently become entangled in a threefold cultural and legal web. One part is political correctness. A second is the legal morass enveloping Native American tribal sovereignty. And a third is latent public guilt for the sins, real and perceived, of 300 years of “American Indian policy.”

4.) Reduce nonprofit gambling for fundraising. This can be done fairly and in a manner that furthers the public interest. But the primary responsibility for reducing the use of gambling for fundraising lies with nonprofit organizations, including churches.

A nonprofit organization’s most precious resource is its reputation, for it is the public’s appreciation for a well-conceived mission that gets results that creates support for a cause. Gambling operations undercut the nonprofit organization’s humanitarian reputation and, therefore, diminish the organization’s moral credibility in the community it serves.

A CELEBRATION OF IRRATIONALITY

Gambling demands that the gambler abandon reason. It’s a venue of superstition, a religion-free religion. In a time when valuelessness is valued, gambling fits. In a culture that believes the universe began by chance and that existence and morality are nothing more than the “luck of the draw,” gambling is oddly logical. Gambling is the perfect postmodern pastime.

Gambling is correlated with social pessimism. It flourishes in cultures that no longer believe they can influence their present, much less their future. Gambling blossoms from a mood of despair, powerlessness, and hopelessness. Life is chance — a crap shoot.

Gambling is a metaphor for the current cultural Zeitgeist. It grows out of our cultural philosophy. Americans believe in a world of undefined chaos.

Every civilization in the past 500 years has sought to curtail gambling or its effects.⁴⁹ Why do Americans think we’re immune to the hazards of gambling? It is because Americans have embraced moral relativism, the postmodern belief in “mobile truths.” Increasing numbers of Americans no longer believe in absolute truth, in right and wrong. If God exists, He must not have anything to say to people. They reject Him, they reject His Word, and they reject His morality. The only thing left is uncertainty — and luck.

For many Americans gambling has become a surrogate religion; a pathological hope; a concession to life based on luck; an admission that there is nothing to life but determinism, fatalism, nihilism.

But gambling is rabbit’s foot religion. It’s postmodern paganism. Gambling asks people to play the odds, and always, in the long run, gambling wins.

Rex M. Rogers is president of Cornerstone College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and author of Seducing America: Is Gambling a Good Bet? (Baker Book House, 1997).

NOTES

¹Norman L. Geisler with Thomas A. Howe, Gambling a Bad Bet: You Can’t Win for Losing in More Ways Than You Can Imagine (Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1990), 73.²William N. Thompson, Legalized Gambling: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1994), 3.³John Wheeler, “Losers,” Charisma, September 1997, 71.⁴“Too Many Casinos,” Grand Rapids Press, 6 October 1997, sect. A; Joseph P. Shapiro, “America’s Gambling Fever,” U.S. News and World Report, 15 January 1996, 59; and Bob Kolasky, “Issues of the Week: Fighting Long Odds,” www.Intellectualcapital.com, 11 September 1997, 2. ⁵Eugene Martin Christiansen and Will E. Cummings, “Double-Edged Growth,” International Gaming and Wagering Business Magazine, 1 August 1995, 31–32.⁶Kolasky, 1; and Martin Koughan, “Easy Money,” Mother Jones, July–August 1997, 32.⁷Frank Rich, “America on Big Bender with Gaming,” Las Vegas Sun, 10 May 1996, sect. B. Christiansen and Cummings, 31–32.⁸Chris Welles, “America’s Gambling Fever,” Business Week, 24 April 1989, 112–13.⁹Report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Michigan Gaming, Robert J. Danhof, chairman, April 1995, 15. Shapiro, 55.¹⁰Thompson, 13.¹¹Vicki Abt, James F. Smith, and Eugene Martin Christiansen, The Business of Risk: Commercial Gambling in Mainstream America (Lawerence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 1985), 22.¹²Ibid., 198–99.¹³Ibid., 22.¹⁴James Popkin with Katia Hetter, “America’s Gambling Craze,” U.S. News and World Report, 14 March 1994, 46; Thompson, 6.¹⁵Report of the Commission on the Review of the National Policy Toward Gambling, Charles H. Morin, chairman (Washington, D. C., 15 October 1976), 18–107.¹⁶Rufus King, Gambling and Organized Crime (Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press, 1969), 74.¹⁷In 1969, Canada followed suit by changing its criminal code to allow lotteries and charitable gambling. (Thompson, 8.) Mexico is also flirting with expanded legalized gambling. Casino gambling is being considered in at least 10 major cities and resort destinations. While a national lottery, horse racing, sports betting, and cockfighting have been available for years, the Mexican Congress outlawed casino gambling in the 1930s. Most Mexicans don’t want expanded legalized casinos, however. A poll in The Mexico CityReforma indicated that 68 percent oppose, and 30 percent favor, casinos. See Hayes Ferguson, “Mexico Officials Debate Legalizing Casino Gambling to Aid Economy,” The Grand Rapids Press, 12 November 1995, sect. A.¹⁸Christiansen and Cummings, 31–32; Thompson, 3.¹⁹Thompson, 3.²⁰“Gambling Addiction Near Epidemic,” The Bottom Line on Alcohol in Society (journal published by the Alcohol Research Information Service, Lansing, MI) 14 (Spring 1993): 1, 7.²¹Matthew Brown, “Gaming Industry Has No Chance in Utah,” The Grand Rapids Press, 5 May 1996, sect. A.²²Cited in David Johnston, Temples of Chance (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 20.²³Adolescent Compulsive Gambling: The Hidden Epidemic (The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, n.d.)²⁴Ricardo Chavira, “The Rise of Teenage Gambling,” Time (25 February 1991), 78. J. Taylor Buckley, “Nation Raising ‘A Generation of Gamblers,’” USA Today (5 April 1995), 1A.²⁵Report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission, 15; Laurel Shaper Walter, “More Teens Play Games of Chance,” The Christian Science Monitor, 25 April 1990, 16.²⁶Report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission, 15.²⁷“Teen Gambling: Hidden Habit, Public Problem,” USA Today, 5 April 1995, sect. A. This research established correlation between gambling and suicide, but not causality.²⁸Chavira, 78. ²⁹Ibid., 78.³⁰Christiansen and Cummings, 31–32.³¹Ron Reno, “Gambling with America,” Christian American, July-August 1996, 25.³²Larry Braidfoot, Gambling: A Deadly Game (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985), 182.³³R. H. Charles, Gambling and Betting: A Study Dealing with Their Origins and Their Relation to Morality and Religion (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1924), 61.³⁴James Hastings, ed., Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1913), 163.³⁵Lycurgus M. Starkey, Jr., Money, Mania, and Morals: The Churches and Gambling (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1964), 112.³⁶Francis Emmett Williams, Lotteries, Law, and Morals (New York: Vantage Press, 1958), 76.³⁷Lyaugus M. Starkey, Jr., Money Mania and Morals: The Churches and Gambling, [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1964], 37.³⁸Starkey, 27.³⁹This is one of the central premises of Robert Goodman, The Luck Business: The Devastating Consequences and Broken Promises of America’s Gambling Explosion (New York: The Free Press, 1995).⁴⁰Thompson, 42.⁴¹See Rex M. Rogers, Seducing America: Is Gambling a Good Bet? (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1997), 91–92; Abt, Smith, and Christiansen, 76–77.⁴²Charles T. Clotfelter and Philip J. Cook, Selling Hope: State Lotteries in America (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989), 70.⁴³Abt, Smith, and Christenson, 37, 174–75, 213–15.⁴⁴Goodman, 163–66.⁴⁵This point has been well known to political scientists for more than two decades. Most recently it was highlighted on Wolf Blitzer, Inside Politics, Weekend, CNN, 10 January 1998.⁴⁶John Warren Kindt, “The Negative Impacts of Legalized Gambling on Businesses,” Business Law Journal 4 (Spring, 1994): 93-124.⁴⁷Popkin and Hotter, 46⁴⁸“Legalized Gambling on a Losing Streak,” http:// www.Iquest.net/cpage/ncalg/gambling.html (2 June 1997), 1–4.⁴⁹Charles, 10.