What is Gambling Exactly?

I would greatly appreciate it if someone would show me why governments shun gambling and demonize it yet there are many other types of gambling that are widely accepted and sometimes required. 

Insurance is gambling to an extent. You are betting that you are going to have an accident of some sort and the Insurance is betting that nothing is going to happen. I am amazed that there is all kinds of insurance. I wonder if they have insurance for insurance. 
Buying stocks is kind of like gambling: you are betting that a specific stock is going to go up in value.

Horse betting isn't a big deal, but for some reason (perhaps because of the animals) it isn't shunned. Has anyone mentioned to you what happens to the animal AFTER it's done with its racing years? If it isn't a good performer BAAAD things happen. You can read up on that in your spare time, but rest assured, its not pretty.

Buying lottery tickets is gambling. At least schools benefit (Some do I guess??). What I found intriguing is Bingo. I was floored when I found out about high stakes Bingo and that people drop a considerable amount to make money with this form of gambling. And no one blinks because everyone thinks that its just a bunch of grannies playing with pocket change.

Even starting up a business on your own is a gamble. My point here is that what makes these types of gambling any different than a casino with cards? Does the government think that casinos have an unfair advantage or that the people are too stupid? Or does it think that it would rather have people spend the money on goods that they don't need?

Regardless, my opinion is that you should be able to do whatever with your money and if you are too stupid to handle it responsibly, you deserve to be poor.

Just like I believe that there is a certain percentage of the population that should be renters. Not everyone is cut out for the responsibility for owning property. We had ownership in the USA at an all time high a handful of years ago, and to be in that club, all you needed was a mediocre 630 FICO. What people were not prepared for was the responsibility that goes with the property, and the dire consequences of constantly refinancing the property and cashing out.  I dare you to ask those people what they did with the money and they usually say the same "I don't know".  Wow.