The public debate over the economic impact of casino gambling is explored in a new book, “Governing Fortune: Casino Gambling in America” authored by Edward Morse, J.D., and Ernie Goss, Ph.D., professors of law and economics at Creighton University.
The book explores the legal and economic environment of casino gambling in the United States. Drawing upon their respective backgrounds, Professors Morse and Goss offer important insights to those wrestling with the policy dilemmas presented by legalized gambling.
The book begins with a brief look at the historical roots of gambling and then explores casino growth, including both commercial and tribal casinos. It also explores the costs and benefits of legalized casino gambling, and some of the conclusions are surprising. For example, casinos appear to create jobs but not growth in personal income; while casinos provide new sources for tax collections, their impact on tax relief is dubious.
Blurbs from back of book
“In this book, Morse and Goss make important contributions to our understanding of the negative outcomes of the expansion of gambling in America.”
—Jon Bruning, Nebraska Attorney General
“Americans now lose over $50 billion per year at the table games and slot machines of the country’s casinos, and casinos can be found in one form or another in a significant majority of states. Governing Fortune tackles the challenging issues regarding public policy and the spread of casino gambling, and offers some interesting twists to the growing body of social science literature on this fascinating topic.”
—William R. Eadington, Professor of Economics and Director, Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming, University of Nevada, Reno
“Morse and Goss have written an exceptionally insightful book on the history of gambling in the United States. From the early days right into the future, Governing Fortune gives the reader significant insight into the policies, politics, and economics of this ever-emerging industry, while making even the most difficult concepts accessible to the average reader. A significant contribution to the literature that should be carefully consulted by all who work in this area.”
—Ronald J. Rychlak, Professor of Law, University of Mississippi, and coauthor of Gaming Law: Cases and Materials
“Goss and Morse provide an outstandingly sound economic understanding of the function and place of casinos in American society, including essential heretofore unavailable grounding in the legal issues that the book accomplishes remarkably effectively. Moreover, this wealth of economic and legal information is transmitted in an engaging and readable manner. Scholarly, thoughtfully collected, and authoritative, the book is of interest to any analyst of the gambling industry, including students, civic activists, legislators, and scholars.”
—Earl Grinols, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Baylor University