One of the more interesting facts about addiction in the Age of Technoculture is that nearly all of it--with the exception of the small subset of illicit substances identified in the War Against Drugs--is state-sanctioned and in many cases state-subsidized. Gambling is certainly no exception.
The recent movement to outlaw online gambling in this country may have less to do with protecting hapless consumers from venal and unscrupulous online operators, and more to do with eliminating potential competition for the states themselves, nearly all of whom are shamelessly engaged in their own schemes to cash in on our compulsive need to gamble away our finances and futures. State lotteries and new casinos are increasingly viewed by state lawmakers as quick-fix solutions to dwindling tax revenues and escalating debt. Gambling is a growth industry, especially in tough economic times--and gambling interests, both state-owned and private, are among the most aggressive players at the table right now.
Ironically, many twelve-step fellowships hand out specially engraved poker chips to commemorate milestones in sobriety, and to remind recovering addicts that when they act out they are in fact gambling with their lives.
Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
The recent movement to outlaw online gambling in this country may have less to do with protecting hapless consumers from venal and unscrupulous online operators, and more to do with eliminating potential competition for the states themselves, nearly all of whom are shamelessly engaged in their own schemes to cash in on our compulsive need to gamble away our finances and futures. State lotteries and new casinos are increasingly viewed by state lawmakers as quick-fix solutions to dwindling tax revenues and escalating debt. Gambling is a growth industry, especially in tough economic times--and gambling interests, both state-owned and private, are among the most aggressive players at the table right now.
Ironically, many twelve-step fellowships hand out specially engraved poker chips to commemorate milestones in sobriety, and to remind recovering addicts that when they act out they are in fact gambling with their lives.
Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
