What do you think about the new super casinos, do you think gambling is sinful?
Well, not sinful certainly! That's a truly unhelpful concept that induces enormous levels of guilt (remember I was once a priest and sat hearing people's confession - I know what guilt can do to someone) and one that has been used/misused as an instrument of social control by secular rulers as well as religious leaders for generations.
A better question is do I think it is helpful for the public? I can see how I would. I used to work in Birmingham, and there was a casino just down the road that was popular with my colleagues. By being a member I got to use the restaurant, which was excellent and very competitively priced. On another occasion I was in Galveston TX. Gambling is not legal there, but there is a boat that sails out into the Gulf of Mexico beyond the 3 mile limit and it's a floating casino. I can tell you it was a wonderful evening. Food and drink were cheap, I set myself a strict limit and played the tables (and lost!) and sat on deck on a warm, sub-tropical evening, watching the stars and enjoying the company. So there is a fun aspect, and in general I am in favour of fun. A day without fun is a day wasted.
But it is also true that people get addicted to gambling, and like any other addiction, it ruins families and destroys lives. And gambling, like other industries that involve a massive flow of hard cash, tends to attract crime.
However there are spin-offs - extra employment in the area concerned, and so on. And we permit other things that enslave and damage people that I enjoy, such as alcohol, and that I hate, such as tobacco.
In short, I don't think there is an easy answer. I'm glad it wasn't my decision. I see the benefits, but I am uneasy about the downsides. Like so many things, it isn't black and white, right and wrong. We cannot simplify life like that, because it's not what life itself is like. What principle do you apply - the greatest benefit to the greatest number? I think overall I'd probably rather we'd decided against, but I am not convinced.
