Gaming teaches complex problem solving, organizational skills, reading, profanity improvement, socializing on several levels more constant, and its better than wasting time on TV. So if the option was TV then yes gaming is a huge improvement in many cases. If the option is exercising and team sport where you socialize, then its not as good because there is no exercise other than the mind.
Certainly getting a higher level of education trumps all of this, but not everyone is above average.
I'd rather have people gaming vs Drinking and driving. I'd throw in an requirement they should all have a job of some sort, oddly enough I find most older gamers are disabled or X military. Which means they will probably all grow out of it when they run out of food in the basement.