Culture minister Hugh Robertson said there was little evidence that high-stakes gambling machines caused serious problems.

BBC: Betting machine

In legal joints regulators can bar the most addictive sorts of gambling machines.

ECONOMIST: Gambling prohibition

They include a complete ban on wagering on college and amateur sports, a ban on Internet gambling and a ban on credit-card cash-advance machines in gambling parlours.

ECONOMIST: Gambling on the future

Even before opening night, there was sharp disagreement among aficionados over Mayer's switch from the Renaissance Palazzo Ducale to a casino floor filled with slot machines, gambling tables and faux neon.

WSJ: Mayer's 'Rigoletto,' set in Vegas, opens at Met