Many states, however, are now stampeding to legalize lotteries, approve new racetracks and set up off-track betting.

By early 1974, eight states were operating lotteries, with at least four others about to open for business.

Not long ago a National Science Foundation report noted: “State lotteries have had very limited impact on illegal gambling . . . The legal game is not sufficiently appealing to players of the illegal game to attract them away from it.”

Informed gamblers know that state lotteries pay back only a small return on every dollar bet compared to the return on the dollar bet illegally.

Also, surprising perhaps to many, by far most illegal gambling is on football, basketball and other sports. And, there is no legal betting on these events. As a result, the legalizing of lotteries and OTB has had the effect of encouraging people to seek out such illegal gambling attractions. This was the finding of a recent New York Police Department study.