ABOUT GAMBLING

At one time, the only state in America where gambling was legal was Nevada. This situation remained in effect for many years, and although there was sporadic gambling in other jurisdictions, such as the draw online poker games clubs in California and lotteries in certain states, it wasn't until Atlantic City legalized gambling that Nevada had any competition in the way of full-fledged casinos offering games such as craps, online blackjack games, roulette and online baccarat games, as well as slot machines. One of the rationales for legalizing gambling in Atlantic City was to use the tax money engendered from gambling to improve the city.

But that didn't happen. The millions of dollars spent in the casinos, or should I say, billions, didn't improve the city one whit. While the number of pleasure palaces of gambling rose, Atlantic City remained a festering slum. As it is today. The tourists go to the casinos and occasionally walk on the boardwalk, but they don't venture into Atlantic City proper. Still, there were mighty revenues that could be taxed by the municipality, and other jurisdictions took note of the frantic pace of building and the millions of tourists who poured into the New Jersey resort.

After all, the leaders of these states and cities argued, everyone likes to gamble, and they do gamble illegally. So why not legalize it and cash in on these millions of dollars? The floodgate was opened, and gambling, which in puritan America had remained a hidden and illegal vice, was now thrust into the open in state after state. The money it poured into state and municipal coffers was used for a variety of causes,

GAMBLING TODAY

At the present time, there is some form of gambling, whether it be lotteries, Indian reservation gaming, riverboats or card clubs, or straight casino gambling, in forty-eight of the fifty states. Perhaps all the states eventually will have gambling; all signs point to this happening. What at one time caused moral indignation is now a commonplace. People are willing to wager money on some form of gambling, and the states and municipalities, hungry and desperate for infusions of tax money, are willing to provide their citizens with the opportunity.

Nevada is still the leading state as far as gambling is concerned. You can wager on anything here, but the state doesn't have a lottery. It doesn't need one. games such as Quarter mania and Megabucks provide the players with opportunities to make millions by risking several coins or dollars.