The Hideous Slot Parlor Requirement

Matt raises a question I’ve raised before too — what possible justification can there be for permitting private casinos but not permitting table games? Making an exception for lotteries, at least, has a plausible profit-maximization rationale (state monopoly, horrible odds.) Certainly, I’ve never seen a decent justification for this on the merits, and I assume I never will (especially since, as Matt notes, much less labor-intensive electronic gaming undermines economic justifications of legalization.) But even from a standpoint of narrow self-interest, not allowing table games in casinos makes no sense — the casino operators don’t seem to think that having only electronic games is the way to maximize profits. Is the idea that gambling is immoral, so if states have to permit it it should be as unpleasant as possible? I don’t get it.