Yet another gambling casino opened close to North Carolina last month when the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the corporate giant Caesar’s christened a new facility just across the border in Danville, Virginia.

And between it, a pair of tribal casinos in western North Carolina and the explosion of legalized sports gambling in our state, it’s easy to feel as if the cow is now completely out of the barn when it comes to this frequently predatory and destructive pastime.

But as experts have repeatedly documented, it’s vitally important that elected leaders not throw in the towel when it comes to controlling this industry.

Like recreational drugs, gambling can be harmless entertainment. But for tens of millions of people, gambling is a dangerous and destructive addiction pushed by exploitive and predatory corporations.

The bottom line: gambling isn’t going away, but there is much more that elected leaders can and should do to regulate it and to protect consumers and the vulnerable. And making sure our state is not completely overrun by casinos should be near the top of the list.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.