Risky Business: America's Fascination with Gambling
Ronald Pavalko's unbiased, impeccably researched book explores the societal, economic, and personal ramifications of gambling, enabling your students to make informed personal, as well as public policy choices, on gambling-related issues. Following an overview of relevant popular, scholarly, and therapeutic literature, the author examines sociological perspectives on gambling and the history of gambling in the United States from Colonial times through the new millenium. He explores the...
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This book takes a look at the economic and less publicized "social costs" of gambling in America. Organized chronologically, RISKY BUSINESS scrutinizes the effects of gambling throughout United States' history and offers a glimpse into gambling in the future based on possibilities provided by the Internet and portable communications.
1. INTRODUCTION. The Popular, Scholarly, and Therapeutic Literature. The Popular Literature. The Scholarly Literature. The Therapeutic Literature. The Scope of Gambling. What This Book Is Not About. Summary. 2.SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON GAMBLING: AN OVERVIEW. Gambling as Crime. Gambling as Deviant Behavior. Public Policy Issues. Ethnographic Research. Race and Ethnicity. Social Class. Summary. 3.GAMBLING IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN OTHER SOCIETIES. Gambling in America. Colonial America. The Nineteenth Century. The First Half of the Twentieth Century. The 1950s to the 1970s. Gambling in Other Societies. Canada. Mexico. Europe. South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Africa. Asia and the Middle East. Summary. 4.RECENT GROWTH OF THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY. Handle. Pari-Mutuels. Lotteries. Casinos. Bookmaking and Card Rooms. Charity Bingo and Other Charity Games. Indian Reservation Gambling. Gross Revenues. Revenues as a Percent of Handle. Summary. 5.ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY. Positive Impacts. Casinos. Lotteries. Some Indirect Impacts. Local Community Impacts. Negative Impacts. Bankruptcy. Competition. Failed Expectations. Summary. 6.GAMBLING AND PUBLIC POLICY. How Public Policy on Gambling Is Made. Legislative Action. Court Rulings. Administrative Decisions. Referenda and Initiatives. A Case Study in Policy Making: Gambling in Wisconsin. The Legislative and Public Policy Background. The Scope of Gambling in Wisconsin. Public Policy Issues. The Governor's Task Force. Let the Voters Decide: The 1993 Amendment. Conclusions. The Rationale for Legalization: Jobs, Economic Growth, and Tax Revenues. Summary. 7.THELEGITIMIZATION OF THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY SINCE THE 1970's. Processes of Legitimization. The Role of the State. Gaming, Not Gambling: The Magic of Words. More Wordplay: Goodbye Casino, Hello Family. Entertainment Complex. Borrowing Legitimacy. The Mass Media. Summary. 8.CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF GAMBLING. Attitudes Toward Gambling. Casino Gambling. Lotteries. Off-Track Betting (OTB) and Slots at Racetracks. Bingo. Other Issues. Social Characteristics Related to Attitudes. Toward Gambling. Participation in Gambling. Gambling in Casinos. Playing the Lottery. Betting on Horse and Dog Races. Playing Bingo. Illegal Gambling. Summary. 9.COMPULSIVE GAMBLING. Perspectives on Compulsive Gambling. The Medicalization of Compulsive Gambling. What Is Compulsive Gambling? To What Is the Compulsive Gambler Addicted? Cross-Addiction and Addiction Switching. Compulsive Gambling and Mental Health. Personality Characteristics of the Compulsive Gambler. Compulsive Gambling and Criminal Behavior. Assessment and Diagnosis of Compulsive Gambling. The Prevalence of Compulsive Gambling among Adults in the United Stated. The Prevalence of Compulsive Gambling among Adults in Other Societies. The Prevalence of Compulsive Gambling among Youth. The Social Costs of Compulsive Gambling. Costs to the Individual. Costs to Families. Costs to Financial Institutions. Costs to Human Service Agencies and the Criminal Justice System. Costs to Employers. Summary. 10.THE TREATMENT OF COMPULSIVE GAMBLING. Treatment Issues. Treatment Models. Gamblers Anonymous. Compulsive Gambling Treatment and Public Policy. The National Level. The State Level. Summary. 11.LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. Welcome to the Virtual Casino. Legal Issues. Regulation. What If You Are (or Think You Are) Ripped Off? The Virtual Lottery. The Virtual Sports Book. In-Flight Gambling. At-Home Gambling. Other Issues. Summary. REFERENCES. AUTHOR INDEX. SUBJECT INDEX.
