1. Gambling in fact has many negative externalities. If someone gets addicted, the likelihood is much higher to be depressed. Depression is factor, which leads to high costs for the society.
2. Gambling addiction leads to economic costs because of crime actions. Other market actors have to increase their security standards, which means higher costs.
3. Many gambling addicts go as a consequence to jail. Jail means EXTREMELY high costs to society.
What are your thoughts on this topic?
We need a balance in everything in our life. The same thing with gambling: If we don't have it at all, people will not have a place to get some entertainment and chill, so they will try to compensate it in some other activity, and there is no guarantee that this activity will be constructive for society. But if we have too much gambling, it's benefits will be buried under a lot of criminal activity and too many people will become mad about their losses.
So we need here a balance.