"we are living in a material world..."

Black Electorate: Gambling And Religion by Reuven Brenner and Gabrielle Brenner gives a broad overview of how different religious groups have viewed the practice of gambling over time.

AlterNet: Swimming With the Sharks by Howard Karger discusses more contemporary predatory lending institutions (legal loan sharks).

Of course, both are prohibited in an Islamic economic system.
See also:
"if money is the root i want the whole damn tree"