| | |  | Last Updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 |  | | | The Great Gambling Nature vs. Nuture Debate
- Wednesday, 31 May 2006
The ‘Great Gambling Nature versus Nuture Debate’ is divided on the question whether gambling addiction is something that is created by societal influences, or the tendency by certain individuals to become addicted to something in the first place. There seems to be no clear-cut answer regarding this issue as many experts, professionals and religious groups bash out this question about the cause of gambling addiction at every given opportunity.
On the one hand, we have people who argue that gambling would not be a problem if it weren’t so easily available. This camp argues that many people turn to gambling to drown out their problems at home, work or in society and before long, they become addicted. They feel that if gambling was prohibited in our society, people would be able to deal with their problems using alternative methods such as professional help and wouldn’t turn to casinos and lotteries for a ‘quick-fix’.
On the other side of the fence, you have a growing number of professionals and scientists who say that certain people are born with the tendency to become addicted – whether to gambling, alcohol or drugs. This group feels that if gambling were prohibited, these people would simply turn to something else. Bearing this argument in mind, the group feels that there is no point in banning or regulating gambling, simply because it wouldn’t serve any purpose. Taking this argument one step further, some pharmaceutical companies are developing drugs that affect the part of the brain that causes some people to become addicted to gambling. It is difficult to buy into one particular argument regarding the causes of gambling addiction. Perhaps these theories are interlinked and more research is required before anybody can come to a definite conclusion regarding gambling addiction.
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