A history and analysis of gambling in the United States from bingo to state lotteries to Indian gaming and the rise of Las Vegas, this book reveals how we have become a nation of gamblers and what the future holds for the gambling industry. From the colonial era to the present, Americans have enjoyed a love-hate relationship with gambling. It is a pastime that has gone from sin to recreational activity, and an industry that has moved from control by organized crime to management by executives with MBAs. While gaming is one of the nation's fastest-growing industries, Barker and Britz predict that this process will slow or stop in the next century as the result of market saturation and unknown social and economic effects which loom over the glitz, glamour, and action.
Studies of gambling reflect how laws define deviant behavior. The authors overview the extent and nature of legal gambling in the US today, and provide historical context for this new wine in old bottles and the love-hate relationship over gaming since colonial days; review the rise of illegal gambling in New York, legal gambling in Las Vegas, Indian casinos, state-run lotteries, and Internet gambling; and discuss why people gamble, the effects on special populations and communities, and the role of the Federal Commission. They conclude that "enough is enough" in terms of market saturation. Appends a synopsis of gambling options in 34 states through 1998, and recommendations of the 1999 National Gambling Impact Study Commission. Barker and Britz teach criminal justice at Eastern Kentucky U. and the Citadel, respectively. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Reveals how we have become a nation of gamblers, from bingo to state lotteries to Indian gaming, and analyzes the rise of Las Vegas and what the future holds for the gambling industry.
