Sorry, but it sounds like a lot of liberal poppycock to me.

A person with a gambling problem is an obsessive/compulsive. If they weren't overdoing it with gambling they'd mtl be drinking, doing drugs or some other vice. If you think the only time gambling has ever been a problem is when they legalized it, think again.

Also, if it is such a burden and as obvious as you say, why does every state, including the ones you mentioned, have some form of legalized gambling?

There are too many success stories out there for you to bring up "conceptual" losses. I could use the same logic to distort the cattle industry by quoting how much heart disease costs us each year. :\