Sep. 17—Gambling enables state legislators to bring in revenue indirectly.

By taxing gambling operations, politicians remove themselves a step from the people who truly pay the tax — gamblers who lose their money.

Lawmakers originally approved a limited number of casinos for two purported reasons — to capture some of the gambling money that Pennsylvanians spent in Atlantic City, and to rescue the state’s horse-racing industry.

But, for nearly 20 years, lawmakers eagerly have approved vast expansions to more full-service and “satellite casinos, online, to noncasino venues, and on sports — in addition to the state lottery.

Nonlottery gambling generated more than $2 billion for the state government in the 2021-22 fiscal year, which ended June 30. The latest debate is on the question of whether the government allows enough gambling at gas stations.

Amid the frenzy, Capitol croupiers should pause to consider Joseph J. McDonald, 37, of Carbondale, Lackawanna County.

The former city councilman was charged Tuesday with stealing more than $163,000 worth of state lottery tickets from the store where he worked. McDonald told investigators that he stole to cover his gambling debts.

When legalized gambling began, advocates claimed that their goal was not to create new customers but to capture customers already gambling in New Jersey.

That was a bogus business plan, of course, but the real one now enables Pennsylvanians to gamble at casinos, online, convenience stores, airports and … stay tuned.

Throughout that evolution the state government has paid scant attention to the social dysfunction and gambling addiction that come with the territory.

Gambling addiction is worse, in a way, than substance abuse.

People addicted to alcohol or other drugs don’t see the problem as its own answer, whereas people addicted to gambling often believe that they can resolve their problems with just one big score.

In Northeast Pennsylvania alone, scores of people have been charged with stealing from their families, employers and civic organizations to cover gambling debts.

Statewide the toll is in thousands.

The next state legislative hearing on gambling should be on addiction rather than expansion.

Lawmakers should resolve to commit far greater resources to preventing and treating it, and helping those who need to quit to save their families, jobs, reputations and, often, their lives.