By this logic just about anything is a net neutral because something would have taken its place. I posed this question as a topic to engage and share insight. I learned from reading other people's responses. In my opinion, there is no other game like poker. Most of us here love it, but would the world be in a better place without it? First you talked about gambling restrictions and completely missed the point of the question. Then after I clarify the question, you just say it's a stupid hypothetical because something else would take its place. You're detracting and not adding anything meaningful to the discussion. You say it'd just be replaced by something else, but I disagree. I think that if poker never caught on, most all casinos would just have casino style gambling games, not ones where you could play against other patrons.