Gambling has been with us for a long time and with how the modern society wants to preserve the healthy human, they tend to deal with problem gambling in different ways. Some countries set up various help centers and organizations devoted specifically to problem gambling while others ban gambling completely.

You’ll find that gambling is allowed in the UK, with even bingo promo codes being promoted online, but in the USA, it is not as frequent and you might have to go under the radar in a lot of states if you want to gamble.

But why is that, actually? Why are some countries lenient and even pro-gambling while others ban it completely?

The Dark Side of Gambling – Crime

Gambling has often been associated with crime and rightly so. Casinos and other multi-million businesses have been known to launder money, which is just a start of things. Compulsive gamblers can easily be lulled into another night, another poker chip, another turn of the handle with promises, a wink from a hostess, a free coupon and much more. Most of the time, wherever there’s gambling and a lot of money involved, there will be people wanting to exploit that.

The house, more commonly known as the casino or bookmaker, depending in what type of establishment you’re gambling in, tends to set things in its own favor. Problem gamblers are the easiest targets as they really don’t need more than a nudge to get going. An addiction is an addiction, no matter what you’re addicted to. Loan sharks also tend to prey on the penniless gamblers, giving them money to feed their addiction and waiting for them to pay it back. They do not wait too long, and many have seen mafia-related movies and what happens to people who do not pay their loans back.

The Bright Side of Gambling – Profit and Control

Countries have realized that while you cannot really stop gambling from taking place, you can at least take part in it and tax it, as well as have an eye on things. When things step out of the shadow and into the limelight, people stop hiding and problem gamblers surface. That way, you know who you need to help, at the same time having profit from taxing the various forms of gambling.

The UK has 15% taxes on all gross profits in every casino or bookmaker. They all need a UK gambling license if they want to operate on UK soil. The same goes for all online UK based sites.

The Gray Area – Online Gambling

Another reason why gambling is legal in many places is the introduction of online gambling. The reason that the gray area exists at all is because many laws and acts failed to address online gambling. The USA doesn’t deal with online gambling in almost any way, except that you have to be over 18. Many countries allow online gambling as they did not attempt to control it in any way. There are exceptions like North Korea and the United Arab Emirates where all forms of gambling are strictly forbidden.

Some countries legalize gambling as they can profit off it and help problem gamblers while others ban gambling due to crime-related reasons or religion, even. Just check before going to a country other than your own, whether you can gamble or not.