>popularly acclaimed law I have the feeling that gambling is popularly acclaimed in the same way that cigarette smoking is.

People may like it but other than a few even the ones who like it wish it didn't exist.

At any rate every article I see about gambling is about how much it sucks. Probably the gambling industry doesn't have the top level public relations that smoking had once upon a time, otherwise I'd be seeing more ads about how gambling makes you a tough guy. Which, come to think of it, I do see a bit of that in Denmark, but Danes don't do advertising that isn't meant to be funny (laugh with) very well so these ads look ridiculous (laugh at)