Do you think gambling is a vice and should be criminalized?
All those images you displayed in the op are memes that were created from behavior of those that are addicted to gambling -‘like for the one that went on to use his wife’s money to stake on sporty bet, that’s an extreme case of gambling addiction were you start to use people’s money or even selling your properties at a very low price just so that you could have money to fund your gambling account.
You can not rule out the possibility of some gamblers engaging in this type of behavior. This possibility explains why some people have an incorrect perception of gambling. Even though people with this type of behavior are in the minority, their actions and activities give the impression that gambling is the cause, so people tend to blame gambling rather than the gambler. This is concerning to society, to the point where some jurisdictions have introduced legislation to prohibit gambling activities. Even though some of these bills did not pass, it is clear that these gambling addicts are causing problems for many people.
Do you think gambling is a vice and should be criminalized?
If gambling is done right, I don’t think you’ll see this type of images and just like every other addiction I don’t think it should be criminalized instead proper gambling habit should be taught.
There are always extreme cases in everything, and there are people from both sides. Gambling is not inherently bad. The gambler defines it because it reflects his behavior. Since some people find happiness and pleasure in gambling, it should not be considered illegal, as you have noted, and I agree that proper gambling practices should be internalized among gamblers, particularly newcomers.