I've never understood why there are so many legal restrictions on gambling in the US. Where I come from (Ireland/UK) there are lots of betting shops - mostly catering to sports betting, but you can walk in and ask for odds on anything, such as the outcome of a forthcoming election or whatever. Casinos are no big deal (though they cater mainly to the better-off) and most pubs or other social spots have a slot machine or two.

Of course, some people are compulsive gamblers and experience problems as a result. On the other hand my local 7-11 (24 hour convenience store) attracts gambling addicts too, one guy shows up there once a month and hangs out all night playing a quick lottery and smoking two packs of cigarettes. For a while I thought prohibition policy existed because the state wants a monopoly on lottery revenue, but state lotteries seem to be just as profitable in Europe as they are here despite the much lower payouts. The rates of gambling addiction don't seem much different.

I have virtually no interest in the pursuit other than buying a lottery ticket on a whim maybe once a year, but it's similar enough to video gaming that I can see how people get hooked on it - probably something akin to a dopamine deficiency. Prohibition seems pointless and wasteful; better to deal with reality and divert a percentage of the revenue to mitigation services.