zlacker

I think this is honestly ahistorical. While many Christian (speaking about what I know) philosophies would certainly not label gambling a virtue, it's also not widely considered innately sinful. Yes you can do it poorly, but it was always a tolerated evil. I'm not aware of any place other than the puritanical places like America where it's even enters much into the legal discourse. As far as I'm aware, the 'old world' which you reference -- to this day -- has much laxer gambling laws than America. Imagine my surprise when I go to Europe and gambling is everywhere.

>>anon29+(OP)
Most of Europe is more secular / less religious than America, so I don't know why it would be surprising that they have more lax gambling laws. That only supports my point. It has nothing to do with the geographical Old World.

>>keifer+Qr
Even in Europe's religious past, gambling was tolerated. The prohibitions on gambling are uniquely american. In general, America is very puritanical about a wealth of topics (and not just socially conservative ones), which is -- in my opinion -- a result of the descendants of the puritans losing their religion but not their genetic predisposition towards fanaticism.