Legalized gambling. I guess it one of the inevitable consequences of living not only in a democracy, but in a society that is increasingly liberal and secular in its outlook.
'Freedom', 'choice' and other such concepts are the shibboleths that trump all other considerations in such a culture.
People have been able to bet in this country for many years, of course. But what prompted me to write was the recent heavy TV-advertising for betting via your mobile phone.
No longer do you have to go down to the local bookmakers and hand over money; no longer do you even have to switch on your computer and gamble online. Now you can do it from the comfort of your armchair with just a few clicks on your mobile phone.
Now presumably there are processes for sanctioning or licensing things like this. At some point someone must have been in a position to say 'yeah' or 'nay' to this idea.
Did they not think about the consequences? Gambling is addictive and can ruin lives and families. Even if you consider, in a free society, that people should have the freedom to take part in it, should someone not have stopped and thought about where the all-too easy access to gambling via a mobile phone could lead?
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