Today in America, gambling can be a matter of life and death.

Gambling is a unique form of entertainment and is popular in the U.S. People usually turn to gambling because they think it could be their one-way ticket to getting rich. However, it could also be their one-way ticket to poverty and debt.

It may be true that gambling helps the economy, but helping the economy is not worth someone’s livelihood. Gambling may make a few people rich, but the fact that they inflict serious damage to a person’s personality is grounds for nationwide illegalization.

One of the main negative impacts of gambling is its effect on the gambler. Some examples of this are bankruptcy, divorce and suicide. Gambling addiction is an impulse-control disorder. People with gambling addiction have no, or very little, control over their actions. They may even realize the negative effects gambling has over their life but are unable to quit.

Gambling addiction places severe hardship on prison systems, public assistance programs and legal systems. A person’s life is highly influenced by the habit. It can even lead to serious relationship issues followed by divorce.

Lying to your partner in order to further your addiction will only end badly for you. It isn’t worth a single penny won if you have nothing positive to show for it.

Gambling, although exciting, can negatively impact every other area in your life. Gambling can be the worst addiction and the toughest habit to break.

When a person is a compulsive gambler, the effects can be seen immediately.

Many addicts will use credit cards and debit cards to pay for their addiction. The result places them in debt to the point of losing homes, jobs, vehicles and even their families. Family problems are very common due to gambling addictions.

According to a survey from the National Gambling Association, almost 90 percent of gambling addicts have issues at home with family because of their addiction.

Lottery tickets, a “cheaper” form of gambling, are usually purchased at gas stations. This makes the habit of gambling that much easier to get. You have a very small chance of winning money from a scratch-off ticket.

Gambling is harmful to a person’s physical and psychological health. People dealing with this addiction suffer from depression, stress, headaches, intestinal disorders and other anxiety-related problems.

Any form of entertainment that affects a person’s mental health is not worth it in the long run.

Gambling is a menace to society. It is deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic and spiritual life. Gambling isn’t productive or positive.

Gambling can be fun, but it is better to apply other alternatives to your life instead of something that could turn into an addiction.

Working out, meditating or finding a hobby are all healthier options than gambling.

Solving the issue of gambling addiction is far more important than any loss in revenue. Gambling promotes the economy, so it would be hard to get rid of it completely. However, people should consider their privacy, family, relationship and society before hitting the slot machines.