The first accessible introduction to the American gaming landscape
Written by a lawyer and an economist, Governing Fortune summarizes the legal framework supporting the gaming industry and reviews the costs and benefits of casinos by showing how tax base and job growth vary widely with site-specific factors. The book sets forth an innovative proposal for the licensing of gamblers as a means to balance the liberty interests of individuals against the social costs generated from problem gambling behavior. Morse and Goss offer both regional and sector comparisons of the gaming industry and accessible data about every aspect of the gaming environment, including the impact of gambling on economic and social environments.
"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 learner of the gambling industry, including students, civic activists, legislators, and scholars."
—Earl Grinols, Baylor University
"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 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. Nonetheless, controversies regarding the social and economic impacts of casinos and other permitted gambling have not abated. 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, and it does so with clear wiring and visual exhibits (charts, tables, and graphs) that make even the most difficult concepts accessible to the average reader. It makes a significant contribution to the literature on the topic and should be carefully consulted by all who work in this area."
—Ronald J. Rychlak, University of Mississippi, School of Law and co-author of Gaming Law: Cases and Materials
