Should gambling be banned?

This position holds that gambling should be prohibited. Proponents argue that it is engineered to be addictive, that the resulting losses fall hardest on those least able to bear them, and that the harm reaches families and communities rather than only the gambler.

This position holds that gambling should remain legal. Opponents of a ban argue that adults may choose how to spend their own money, that prohibition drives the activity to unregulated markets, and that regulation protects gamblers better than a ban would.