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474 Annals Am. Acad. Pol. & Soc. Sci. 9 (1984)

handle is hein.cow/anamacp0474 and id is 1 raw text is: PREFACE Over thirty years ago The Annals published a volume entitled Gambling. That issue became a landmark publication because it was one of the first serious scholarly attempts at reviewing the nature and extent of gambling and of related public policy. The contributions by Virgil Peterson on enforcement, by Albert H. Morehead on professional gamblers, and by Robert M. Lindner on gambling psychology came to be regarded as definitive statements on their respective subjects. Even though the articles in the 1950s reflected a prominent anti-gambling position, the contributing authors recognized that changes in public perceptions and public policy toward gambling were on the horizon. More specifically, gambling was moving from a public stance of moral condemnation to one of moral ambiguity. In a nation where initiative, creativity, and hard work are encouraged through a system of incentives and rewards, gambling held out the promise of something for nothing. Our religious and economic heritage placed gambling into an unacceptable category of behavior. In addition, gambling was for the most part illegal because of its potential to corrupt political institutions and to exploit the unwary. However, the spread of legalized gambling in its many forms and the concomitant rise in participation among the general public have contributed to the relaxation of the anti-gambling position and an increase in public acceptance. This does not mean, however, that dilemmas in policy and perception do not exist. If anything, they are more complicated. This volume examines the changes in perception and policy that have taken place since the publication of the 1950 issue. It is interesting to note, for example, how much the nature of the arguments for and against gambling have changed. In the 1950s, gambling organizations were largely seen as the domain of the racketeer and card sharp; the gambler was a fool soon to be fleeced by the cynical professionals running the game; and law enforcement and urban political organizations were corrupted by protection money paid by operators of illegal games or casinos. Finally, anyone who would succumb to the temptations of a game of chance would surely sacrifice home and hearth in the compulsive chase of a winning bet. These views continue to exist, but are less prominent and less acceptable as arguments against gambling. Several factors have contributed to the widespread legitimation of gambling by 1984. First, all of the casinos in Atlantic City, and many of those found in Nevada, are owned and operated by publicly traded corporations that have excellent reputations. Many of these, such as Hilton, Holiday Inns, Ramada, and Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, turned to casino gaming as a new source of profits in the face of diminished growth in their original profit centers. Second, state-operated lotteries have spread to 17 states and the District of Columbia, and several other states are considering lotteries to augment their tax structure. In all, 46 states presently allow some form of legal gambling, with bingo being the most popular game; and 33 states allow forms of legal gambling besides bingo. Third, studies show that nearly two-thirds of the general population gamble in one form or another and that this proportion is on the increase. It is highly likely that the expansion of legal gambling that has characterized the last twenty years will continue. 9

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