One of the best arguments against legalized gambling is that some people develop serious gambling problems, thus making the activity essentially unsafe. Yet the counter to that is the issue of freedom. Why should the state deny us a recreational activity we enjoy just because some people can’t control themselves?

Regardless of your opinions on the matter, it’s still in society’s interest to identify and help those who develop gambling problems. So far in Ohio, the good news is that the numbers are not out of control:

The number of Ohioans who had gambling problems or were at risk of developing problems was relatively small as the state embarked on a dramatic expansion of gaming, but experts believe the proportion will increase.

Nearly 3 percent of Ohioans age 18 and over, or about 250,000 individuals, reported problems in a survey released today by state officials.

Kent State University conducted the survey of 3,600 people February through July. (Read a summary of the report in the document reader below).

Officials plan to repeat the study roughly every three years to measure the effect of increased opportunities to gamble.

Let’s hope this continues, as casinos have only been in Ohio since the spring.