In Denver lately, video games have been all over the papers. That's because there is an effort underway to legalize off-track gambling and other video gaming machines.

By any measure, these "video games" are in spirit and in fact actually video games. Unlike Doom or The Sims you can win money from them. But really, how different is a machine spewing quarters from a couple of pals betting on a game of Madden? What if the same two buddies bet on a game of Madden, then let the computer run the game--no skill involved.

It seems that some day the video game industry is going to have to come to terms with its cousin gaming industry. Jimmy Carter couldn't just wish away Billy, nor Bill make Roger go away. And video games can't just ignore video poker machine into disappearing.

So far, the industry has been lucky. All the talk about "Evercrack" and gaming addicts has largely missed making the big connection back to gambling addictions.

Still, I have to wonder. Maybe the connection is closer than we've thought in the past.

From Dave and Busters to Jillian's, the trend in big box arcades is to mix up video games with gambling games. It's all chump change in these joints, spewed out in cheap tickets and even cheaper prizes. But it's only a matter of time until 3-D gambling adventures show up in Vegas. Put $20 bucks in a machine and see if you are lucky enough to blast your way out of hell with a shotgun. Win you make fourty. Surive you get ten. Die, and you better dig up another twenty.

It's only a matter of time.