or, gambling is proven addictive, has provable financial costs to others.. and is therefore regulated. Precedent in Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, some medications, other things.

In other words, in a very free and fair society, I personally see the need for regulation and oversight for this activity. Is that a carte blanche for surveillance and command-and-control things? no .. this is not new, the media over which it takes place is new.