Astute observation! "Gaming" does convey a more sophisticated image than a more precise descriptor like "Legal Theft from the Poor and Working Class."

It's nice to read a well-written piece from a "real" Mainer.

i like your piece but as a 43 year old male i should have the right to gamble on any game i want but here in maine i can only gamble on what the state want to allow or that they get the money so i am hoping your calling the state of maine racketeers too

Gambling is legal. How adults choose to spend their money is their business, as long as they take responsibility for their actions.

Gambling may be a tax on people who are bad at math, but your respondent calling it "legal theft from the poor and working class" is just utter hogwash.

What would he prefer, to ban the "poor and working class" from gambling or to take gambling away from everyone?

The gambling industry doesn't seem to be all that embarrassed about taking peoples' money that I've seen.

Do you have any real statistics to show how many lives are ruined by gambling in comparison to how many people actually gamble? You can include state lotteries if you want, since almost every state in the nation is anxious to deal their citizens a hand.

To the person asserting the right to choose to gamble, I say, "It's your money."

I don't care how an adult spends his money as long as he knows the odds of winning are stacked high against him and his familiy is not hurt.

If a person gets pleasure from the thrill of trying to beat such terrible odds, OK. People also go whitewater rafting for thrills.

The crucial difference between the two is that the whitewater rafter actually gets something for his money, a real ride on real whitewater.

The gambler virtually always gets nothing but a thrill. Once in great while he will win some money, but it's only enough to keep him coming back to try again. The big winners, the ones who take home stupendous jackpots, are only slightly less rare than unicorns.

That's why I say gambling is a racket. And yes, I include the State of Maine's gambling operation as a racket. I don't like how the ill-gotten gains are obtained but I like how they are spent - on roads and schools and the like.

If some kind of legal gambling is politically unavoidable, I prefer to see the money spent for the public good. To see rivers of cash draining into private pockets for so little gain is depressing.

Bottom line: would I vote to outlaw "gaming" in Maine? Yes.