In the next phase of this confrontation, the US Congress entered the fray: it created the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, whose task was to assess the “social costs” of this activity and to study all the possibilities of legal regulation in this field. It also had to analyze the costs of such regulation, which probably implied a requirement to carefully consider alternative (non-governmental) methods of control. Astonishingly, they did not pin up casino accomplish the latter task. Moreover, the commission’s work left out a very important point, namely, that for the vast majority of people gambling is just a form of entertainment, a voluntary and harmless activity that is “worthwhile” because it is sometimes rewarding. In short, such activities are no less sensible and reasonable than other sources of entertainment, such as television, opera, or competitive sports.
