Pathological Gambling

Gambling has had a long and deep-rooted history throughout time and even in the founding of the United States. Lotteries were used in the early American colonies to establish and fund themselves along with instituting famous universities, such as Harvard, Yale, and William and Mary to name a few. Beginning in the early 1900’s, states began banning gambling because of its association with corruption and violence. It has long been proposed that gambling from a Christian viewpoint is a sin because of the focus on the coveting of money and the attempt of quick and easy riches. As the character Davy in Robert Louis Stevenson’s book Kidnapped contemplates when asked to join in on a game of cards, “Now this was one of those things I had been brought …show more content…
People with gambling addiction often feel ashamed of their problem and try to avoid people discovering the extent of their problem. Pathological gambling rarely affects just the gambler, family savings can be lost, college education or retirement funds squandered, and home mortgage debts and foreclosures may occur. In addition to financial effects, studies show the social issues also impact others, such as an increase in crime, domestic violence, higher suicide rates, and incarceration of those involved in crimes related to