Widespread gambling is the ultimate roll of the dice turning up snake eyes of addiction. Nationwide there are some eight million compulsive gamblers disrupting their lives and their loved ones. Recreational gambling is not unlike the risk of dependence in illicit drug-use originally socially motivated. The nation has enough problems without every greedy state opening its borders or rivers for the sake of revenue and risking —particularly among the young— a national crisis of compulsive gambling leading to crime and emotional disorders.

It is ironic what with congress debating health insurance—more financial than ideological—there are countless millions who have money to throw away on the lottery, bingo, the track and countless "games" at casinos. There is no telling how much of a cost factor in this century for health care that addictive gamblers will cost the nation in attempted suicides, domestic abuse and pathological disease just as the rising costs of the drug-user today—not to mention the costs in crime.

Already there are university studies that indicate that even among teenagers gambling is spiraling and spinning off gamble-related crime in the range of stealing from the family to debt default arrests. There is also evidence that pathological gambling is on the rise among them. With the fascination youngsters have with electronic games it does not require a soothsayer to see the easy transition to the bright lights of a casino's slot machines.

States rights is out of control. The guise of "recreation" is pure Madison Avenue stuff in light of gambling's dire implications. Besides, is there no limit to entertainment and recreation in this country? Are there no serious problems in the world? State governments argue that they put people to work and help educate the young. To play on Peter's weakness to pay Paul is not the best way to raise revenue, especially when no one knows what the ultimate cost factor will be down the road. Besides, when is there ever a reduction of school tax as a result of the lottery or gambling casino? Who's kidding whom? Granted on the surface the lottery seems harmless, but no one knows yet just how addictive it is. That there are many willing to gamble as much as thousands of dollars when the lottery hits the $50 million plus range is foreboding. They would ransom their mothers for chips at a casino in Fort Lauderdale.