Japan's government is considering legalizing gambling in Japan, one of the world's last untapped markets for gambling. Two billionaire casino operators are pushing to open casino resorts and turn Japan into the third-largest center for gambling after the United States and Macau. Gambling will bring problems.
The examples of the U.S. and the United Kingdom should be sufficient to show that legalized gambling exacerbates problems. The evidence gathered from those two countries over the last several decades of removing prohibitions on gambling shows huge increases in gambling addiction, crime, personal debt and mental health issues, while doing almost nothing for the economy.
Most tax revenue from gambling taxes will be offset by expenditures for treating addictions, fighting crime and helping gamblers in debt. Studies in the U.S. have shown that the rate of compulsive gambling for people living close to a casino is twice the average. They have shown that pathological gamblers number in the millions, and are increasing.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.