For the past 23 years I have been writing about the social consequences of expanded gambling.  The “fruit” of gambling is very public: jobs and revenue.  The pain of gambling caused by the addicted and the problem gamblers is mostly private,...

Is it even possible that my generation, which sends 6 billion text messages per day and 6,000 thousand Tweets per second, is fatally lonely? Not only is that possible, it’s increasingly the consensus of social and behavioral scientists. Carolyn Gregoire at...

The line between practicing tolerance and concession is a difficult one to walk. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has attempted to extend an olive branch the LGBT community in Utah by helping to craft anti-discrimination legislation specifically...

The concept of Chinese water torture is a relatively simple one: The repetitive, slow drip, drip, drip of water onto a restrained person's forehead will allegedly drive them insane. It is a concept that can be found in nature as well, as the slow dripping of water...

Hard times hit Kansas.  Government leaders sold their soul to the casino business and lost. In March 2007 the legislature passed and Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed a bill to approve the first “government owned” casinos in the country.  Casino...

I’ve found myself thinking about one particular classmate from my undergraduate years. We entered around the same time. He was able to graduate much sooner than I, though, mostly because his Sallie Mae loan covered enough of his college bill so that he could...

Have you heard the news about the woman in the Planet Fitness locker room who objected to another man being there? Instead of the man being asked to leave, the woman was kicked out of the club because of the way she objected. Planet Fitness has a...

An increasing number of legal cases are being filed against casinos and lotteries in efforts to make them responsible for the damage they cause,  A recent very interesting case has arisen in Portland, OR involving the dishonest presentation of a lottery game....

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Obedience to the law is demanded as a right, not asked as a favor.” Traditionally, those who uphold the law receive benefits, while those who skirt it do not. House Bill 267 in Kentucky, however, aims to undermine the law...

Opponents of expanded gambling in Kentucky have been battling Instant Racing (brand name) for over four years.  On one side are the opponents including individuals, the Family Foundation of Kentucky and the Kentucky Council on Alcohol and Gambling Problems and...