Executive Summary

In conclusion, the American legislation to continue legal gambling should now be prohibited because it causes a few major issues. Gambling is a bad habit that tends to be done by unhealthy individuals who choose to abuse drugs and alcohol. With the prevalence of gambling in America the amount of people who will become addicted to all types of gambling will be rampant. As it is seen as a cross addiction, gambling is not viewed as a good mixture with substances like alcohol and the growing legal plant marijuana. In addition to its addictive nature gambling is also problematic because it jeopardizes the longevity of sports. Sports are America’s pastime, they are games that bring us together and promote camaraderie. But, broadcasts are being filled with discussions of gambling. The media has made sure that gambling will stick around sports for time to come. The government has done its job too. Now, the people are weary that the people’s champion, the athlete, can avoid the noise of legal gambling. But, the history of professional sports scandals can lead one to believe otherwise. The integrity of the game now lies in the pockets of the people and not the hands of the athlete. And when it comes to the gambler money does not discriminate age. Younger adolescents are becoming gamblers with hopes of making a profit with no risk premium. It has ruined some lives of college students and forced them into debt. It is no secret that habits begin at young ages and they usually continue throughout lives. So, as the big business that is gambling continues to grow a microscope will be placed on these topics as Americans learn to gamble their way through the future.

A great source for my paper: http://www.demes.teimes.gr/spoudastirio/E-NOTES/G/Gambling_Viewpoints.pdf

Paper Outline AND beginning draft of paper

***I believe this can proceed as a draft beginnings for my paper and an outline because it basically what I will say in my paper word for word. I will edit this a ton but it is an outline and both a draft based on my sources used and time put into it***

 

Thesis: Gambling should not be legalized in the United States because it causes addiction, violates the athletes integrity and proliferates young gambling.

Intro Context: Some history of gambling and how it invaded sports. A psychological look at the problems of gambling in a societal context. More observation of how gambling at a young age forms habits for older age just like any other thing we do.

Argument 1: Gambling should be made illegal because it causes addiction.

In Walker’s work he describes the issues that gambling proliferates in the troubled people who choose to participate. Maybe gambling is not to blame for addiction as most people who are gambling have other disorders, often including excessive drug or alcohol use (369). Either way people are being hurt by gambling addictions.

Ravalko, the author, describes the prevalence of problem gambling in adults lives. Throughout the United States about 4.5% of people are problem gamblers and over half of adults regularly gamble. Although, problem gambling is undetectable compared to alcohol and drug use it is still an addiction less talked about. Problem gambling is known as a “cross addiction” for many because those who have gambling addictions are usually abusing alcohol and drugs too (47-57).

The authors begin their discussion on problem gambling by defining the term: “A progressive disorder characterized by a continuous or periodic loss of control over gambling; a preoccupation with gambling and with obtaining money with which to gamble; irrational thinking; and a continuation of the behavior despite adverse consequences” (Jazaeri 2). The authors go on to say that problem gambling is comparable to a psychological disorder and is something that many Americans do, statistically. It is something that requires real treatments including therapy and gambler’s anonymous.

Counter Argument: The author Michael Walker argues that heavy problem gambling is not an addiction. Gambling involves playing a game whereas alcohol or drugs are something that people depend upon. The author has called gambling socially deviant from attaining what society has normed people to define success as. People want money, a family and a nice household. So they gamble. The author argues that the withdrawal symptoms seen from drugs and alcohol are more severe than gambling and thus people rely upon alcohol as compared to enjoying gambling. The author Walker states clearly that gambling is not pathological and says, “Perhaps it is time to look again at the role of society and the preparation of the individual for modern life” (58-68). Through a strong dissertation it is seen that gambling may not be a pathological addiction but more an unhealthy habit from unhealthy people.

Argument 2: Gambling should not be legalized in the United States because it violates the athletes integrity.

This source highlights the history of sports gambling dating back to its first major event the 1919 MLB World Series up to the 1992 PASPA act which banned sports gambling. Now, we are in a popular climate for gambling where more states are legalizing it, starting with New Jersey. The article further delves into the hypocrisy of some athletic teams integrity towards gambling and how this is evolving. The source may be used as a counterargument saying that this legalization is a part of sports and there is no looking back. As more organizations in the NFL and NHL move teams to Las Vegas, the epicenter of American gambling, it seems that the attitudes of these leagues are evolving.

This article goes into the difficulty of trying to stop or prevent college athletes from gambling against their games. The information is easy to pass through college campuses if a player gets injured and then it is common to see bookies and other gambling organizations know about it. There is no integrity and the outcome can be affected by this simple word of mouth. The toxic relationship will only continue and Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany gives his take on how easy it is for athlete gambling to continue to proliferate in college sports.

The author argues that changes in technology, economics, and culture all are factors in the future of sports scandal. Things like social media and enhancements of cameras allow us to see everything more clearly and put athletes under a greater microscope. This new aspect of sports is greater for protecting the integrity of these paid athletes. A scandal like the Penn State football schedule is a good example of another modern day case where the harsh penalties given out were made to set an example for future athlete perpetrators. The author argues that the more athletes are paid the less they cheat, as they lose the motivation to gamble or throw games.

Counter Argument: Gambling is not actually a problem for athletes. The old days of White Sox gambling scandal (1919) is outdated and the hysteria surrounding the situation is just noise. These high paid athletes actually have security guards, agents and other people monitoring exactly what they are doing and on top of that they have the professional organizations they play for monitoring them. The last player in the White Sox scandal died in 1975 and the paranoia of that infamous event should die with him.

Argument 3: Gambling should not be legalized in the United States because it proliferates youth gambling.

Concerns over the rising prevalence of adolescent gambling problems have become more commonplace. A recent meta analysis of studies examining adolescent prevalence rates by Shaffer and Hall (1996) has suggested that between 77–83% of adolescents are engaging in some form of gambling behavior with between 9.9% and 14.2% of youth remaining at risk for a serious gambling problem. A study was done of 980 adolescents and about 6% have serious gambling problems with more than 4% being affected by gambling.

Gambling should have its gambling age limit raised in the United States because of the irresponsibility of adolescents that simply can not make their own decisions in best interest.  In addition to the possibility
of losing their money, gamblers also risk experiencing a variety of psychlogical,
social, and biological consequences. And exposing children to this type of abuse can proliferate it later in life, per research. Problem gambling strains the economy of society. Distracted from many
of the tasks of daily living, problem gamblers—adolescent and adult—are less productive
students, workers, and family members. In every aspect of daily living, problem
gamblers have less to give because some part of their being is preoccupied with
gambling or recovering from gambling-related debts.

Counter Argument: But, gambling is not an addiction. It is a compulsive behavior that is up to humans to combat the temptation. As opposed to other vices like alcohol and drugs gambling does not give literal physical withdrawal symptoms. There is no shaking from gambling withdrawal as opposed to vodka that harms the body. So, youth gambling is something that parents simply have to do a better job of restricting. In this view, it is not a vice but more something that is a temptation.

Conclusion: Restate the arguments and go back into the context of the introduction and how gambling has had its history in our country and in sports. How this affects athletes per an example of the scandal of 1919 in the MLB where the Chicago White Sox allegedly “threw” the World Series and essentially lost it on purpose for money. And then I will restate my arguments and give the counterarguments and present a closing statement or some anecdote to sum the whole paper up and essentially conclude it.