Most anti-gambling legislation is justified as being for the greater good, a concept that implies that gambling is somehow dangerous and/or that people cannot moderate themselves when gambling...a judgment that is ironically not extended to substances like alcohol and tobacco. While arcade games—a very close relative to casino games like slot machines—are a perfect example of the population's willingness to trade money for entertainment, they remain totally unregulated, and they don't even offer the opportunity to win your money back! Oddly enough, the “greater good” argument is one that has easily been subverted in hard times when once anti-gambling governments are looking for a new source of revenue.

The truth is that a majority of the overall world population supports gambling. Even in countries where online gambling is illegal many forms of gambling—like lotteries—are still used to raise good money for the government, so why are so many adult citizens being denied the opportunity to have fun with their money through other forms of gambling?

If you live in a country where gambling is not legal, or even if you're just an avid gambler that believes that games like blackjack, craps and poker constitute hobbies that should be available to everyone, there are ways you can make your voice heard. The Poker Players Alliance is based out of the United States but represents poker interests worldwide. Their 2009 petition garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures in support of online poker.

On a person level, you can fight for your right to gamble online by writing letters to your political representatives, attending pro-gambling rallies, participating in online gambling support polls, and voting for pro-gambling government officials. Even though countries like the United States and Australia have passed legislation to deter online gambling establishments from operating within their boundaries, neither actually prohibits citizens from gambling online, so if you can find an online casino or poker room that accepts you...go for it!