THE entire business of gambling (please do not call it an industry as gambling is neither industrious or productive) is destructive of people lives and would be best scrapped or at least totally controlled by strict legislation.

Gambling machines should be banned and online betting totally abolished. What is worse, so much of the gambling business is run from abroad and any profits made do not benefit the UK.

If we have to tolerate any form of gambling, then stakes should have to be in cash and at betting shops and only on horses, dog racing on race courses.

Why Labour under Tony Blair encouraged the opening of casinos all over the country, I will never fathom out. An investigation of who benefits as gambling operators and the way that they work to sucker in their victims reveals it is totally abhorrent to decent people. Let’s legislate it out of existence. While it may be impossible to totally prevent it, suitable legislation could it render it much more difficult to operate and much less profitable.

PETER R FRENCH

Brackendale Road, Bournemouth