Gambling in America [electronic resource].

ISBN:

9781610699808

Title:

Author:

Thompson, William.

Personal Author:

Thompson, William.

Edition:

2nd ed.

Publication Information:

Santa Barbara : ABC-CLIO, 2015.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (540 p.)

General Note:

Description based upon print version of record.

Contents:

Cover; Half Title; Title; Copyright; Contents ; Preface; Introduction; Chronology of Gambling Events; Adelson, Sheldon; Alabama; Alaska; Alberta; Antigua; Argentina; Arizona; Arkansas; Aruba; Baccara, Chemin de Fer, and Baccarat-Type Games; The Bahamas; Belize; Bennett, Bill, and Bill Pennington; Bingo; Binion, Benny, and Jack Binion; Blackjack; Bolivia; Boyd, Sam, and William Boyd; Brazil; British Columbia; California; Canada; Cards, Playing; Caribbean Casinos; Cash Transaction Reports and Money Laundering; Casino; Casino Employees; Cassius Marcellus Coolidge and Those "Poker Playing Dogs,"

Cheating SchemesChile; Chips, Gambling; Cockfighting; Colombia; Colorado; Commission on the Review of National Policy toward Gambling (1974-1976); Connecticut; Costa Rica; Craps and Other Dice Games; Credit and Debts; Crime and Gambling; Cruise Ships; Cuba; Custer, Robert L.; Dalitz, Morris; Davis, John; Delaware; Demographic Categories of Players; District of Columbia; Dog Racing; Dominican Republic; Eadington, William R.; The Economic Impacts of Gambling; Economics and Gambling; Ecuador; El Salvador; The European Casino; Fahrenkopf, Frank, Jr.; Faro; Federal Lottery Laws

The Federal Wire Act of 1961Florida; Gamblers' Motivations: Why Do They Gamble?; Gambling, Problem; Gambling: Is It a Drug?; The Gambling Devices Acts (the Johnson Act and Amendments); Gambling on the High Seas, the Laws of; Gambling Systems; Gaughan, Jackie, and Michael Gaughan; Georgia; Grey, Thomas A.; Guadeloupe; Guatemala; Haiti; Harrah, William F.; Hawaii; Hoffa, Jimmy; Honduras; Horse Racing; House-Banked Games; Hughes, Howard; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Insurance and Gambling; Internet Gambling; The Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978; Iowa; Jai Alai; Jamaica; Kansas

The Kefauver CommitteeKennedy, Robert F.; Keno; Kentucky; Kerkorian, Kirk; The Knapp Commission (1970-1972); Lansky, Meyer; Las Vegas; Laughlin, Don, and Laughlin, Nevada; Lesieur, Henry; Lesser Antilles Islands; Lotteries; Louisiana; Louisiana Lottery Company; Maine; Manitoba; Maryland; Massachusetts; McClellan Committees; Mexico; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; The National Gambling Impact Study Commission (1997-1999); Native American Gaming: In the Past; Native American Gaming: Modern Times; Nebraska; Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten, Curaçao, and Bonaire); Nevada

New BrunswickNew Hampshire; New Jersey and Atlantic City; New Mexico; New York; Newfoundland; Nicaragua; North Carolina; North Dakota; Northwest Territories; Nova Scotia; Nunavut; Ohio; Oklahoma; Ontario; Oregon; Organized Crime Control Act of 1970; Pai Gow and Games with Dominos; Panama; Paraguay; Pari-Mutuel Wagering Systems; Pendleton, Edward; Pennsylvania; Peru; Player-Banked Games; Poker; President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice; President's Commission on Organized Crime; Prince Edward Island; Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992

Puerto Rico

Subject Term:

Gambling -- America -- Encyclopedias.

Gambling -- America -- Social aspects.

Gambling -- Encyclopedias.

Gambling -- Social aspects.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view book

Publication Date:

2015

Publication Information:

Santa Barbara : ABC-CLIO, 2015.

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
306.4820973	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ON-DEMAND	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

This one-volume reference provides a comprehensive overview of gambling in the Americas, examining the history, morality, market growth, and economics of the gaming industry. This is the most complete encyclopedia of gambling, covering the industry in great detail including the players, the games, the venues, and the surrounding social issues. Updates in this second edition reveal the impact of technological advances on the games, the growing legislation regulating the industry, and the expanding global footprint of gambling across the world--from Manitoba to Montana.Author William N. Thompson postulates on the impact of gambling on local communities and shows how the U.S. gaming industry is tied to the global market, most notably gaming expansion in Macau and Singapore. The book addresses the various forms of gaming, such as casino-based and online gambling, sports betting, and lotteries. Additional content examines the social issue of problem and pathological gambling and addresses the rehabilitation programs available for the mitigation and treatment of gambling problems.

Author Notes

William N. Thompson , PhD, is professor emeritus of public administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Reviews (3)

Booklist Review

Written by a University of Nevada, Las Vegas, professor and gambling scholar, Gambling in America examines the "people, places, events, laws and policies, and concepts concerning gambling as well as gambling equipment." The focus is on gambling in the Western Hemisphere. Nearly 200 entries are arranged in alphabetical order and vary from a paragraph to several pages in length. Most are written by Thompson, but others are signed or coauthored by contributors with financial, legal, and academic backgrounds. Each state has its own entry, as do most Latin American countries and Canadian provinces. Not surprisingly, there are separate entries for Las Vegas and Reno. Entries for notable figures in gambling (Sheldon Adelson, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, Steve Wynn) and brief entries for different games of chance are also included. Running more than 20 pages in length, the entry on horse racing serves as an excellent overview of the sport. Other entries deal with the culture, economics, and legality of gambling. In addition to the main entries, the book contains a chronology, a glossary of gambling terms, an annotated list of relevant court cases, and a bibliography for further reading. The index is lengthy and indexes the black-and-white photographs present in many entries as well as the text. For a well-rounded collection, librarians will want to combine Gambling in America with the Encyclopedia of Gambling (Facts On File, 1990). The latter presents a more detailed look at individual games of chance and gives a more global view. Thompson has "striven for objectivity" in presenting this controversial industry and has achieved it. The entries are well written, accessible, and generally without bias. Gambling in America is highly recommended for all libraries with a popular culture, current issues, or sociology collection.

Choice Review

Thompson (emer., Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas) has produced a second edition of his 2001 encyclopedia (CH, Apr'02, 39-4347), focusing on "people, places, laws and policies, and concepts concerning gambling" in the Western Hemisphere. Despite this aspiration, the coverage is very heavily weighted toward North America. The appendix on major US legal cases is interesting, as are the biographical entries. The entries for South American countries are quite brief, but they provide resources for further reading and cover the high points (such as the jogo do bicho "animal game" lottery in Brazil). Unless its scant index is better fleshed out, it is hard to imagine this book successfully competing with the Internet in terms of providing basic information for some of the topical entries selected for inclusion. Where this volume sets itself apart is in the author's analysis of, and reflections on, gambling and society. The discussion of demographic categories of players is especially insightful. There are also entries on individual games such as poker in its many forms and blackjack; these lengthy sections discuss strategy as well as cultural factors surrounding each game. Thompson, author of The International Encyclopedia of Gambling (CH, Jul'10, 47-6029) and other books on gambling, has a writing style that is very accessible. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates; general readers. --Corinne L. Stevens, Lake Forest College

Library Journal Review

America's most eminent gambling scholar Thompson (emeritus, public administration, Univ. of Nevada-Las Vegas; International Casino Law; Casino Customer Service; Legalized Gambling: A Reference Handbook) here assesses technological advances in gaming, current legislation regulating the industry, and world gambling. This new edition includes an expanded section on Internet gaming and problem gambling. A chronology of major gambling events precedes the entries, which profile leading figures in gaming, describe how modern gambling in the Americas can be traced to European and world origins, cover the pastime in other countries, and offer information on topics such as casino employees, legislation, individual games, and taxation as it relates to gambling. The focus of the encyclopedia is on risk-taking activities: games of chance outcomes, the placing of stakes on the outcomes, and the awarding of prizes. Of note is the that some form of gambling is permitted by legal authorities in 48 of the 50 American states. A rich bibliography closes this impressive book which should interest the individual scholar and general reader alike. After the summaries the reader is given a collection of law cases; a glossary and a comprehensive bibliography are also provided. -VERDICT This book belongs in all libraries with collections on social and economic history. Readers desiring further related material might consult Sam Skolnik's High Stakes.-Claude Ury, San Francisco © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.