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Gangsters to Governors : The New Bosses of Gambling in America / David Clary.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New Brunswick, NJ : Rutgers University Press, [2017]Copyright date: ©2017Description: 1 online resource (344 p.) : no illustrationsContent type:
Media type:
Carrier type:
ISBN:
  • 9780813584546
  • 9780813584560
Subject(s): LOC classification:
  • HV6715 .C53 2017
Other classification:
  • online - DeGruyter
Online resources: Available additional physical forms:
  • Issued also in print.
Contents:
Frontmatter -- Contents -- Prologue: Bad Bet-New Jersey And The Revel Atlantic City Fiasco -- Part I. Dens Of Thieves: Government Muscles Out The Mob -- 1. The Sport Of Kings: Horse Racing And The Dark Power Of The Wire -- 2. Golden Ticket: State-Run Lotteries Topple Illegal Numbers Rackets -- 3. State Of Play: Nevada Breaks New Ground With Legalized Gambling -- 4. Mob Scene: Crime Syndicates Overwhelm Authorities In Nevada -- 5. Enemy Within: Government Fights Back Against Mob Influence -- 6. Vegas, Inc.: Corporate America Takes Command In Sin City -- Part II. All In: The New Masters Of Gambling -- 7. Siren Song: The Spectacular Rise And Fall Of Atlantic City -- 8. Betting On A Boom: States Promote Casinos As Engines Of Revival -- 9. Rise Of The Tribes: Tribes And States Forge Uneasy Gambling Partnerships -- 10. A Tangled Web: America'S Deeply Conflicted Approach To Online Gambling -- 11. Games Without Frontiers: Scandals, Bookies, Fantasy Sports, And An Uncertain Future -- Epilogue: Double Or Nothing-States Neglect The Human Cost Of Problem Gambling -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- About The Author
Summary: Generations ago, gambling in America was an illicit activity, dominated by gangsters like Benny Binion and Bugsy Siegel. Today, forty-eight out of fifty states permit some form of legal gambling, and America's governors sit at the head of the gaming table. But have states become addicted to the revenue gambling can bring? And does the potential of increased revenue lead them to place risky bets on new casinos, lotteries, and online games? In Gangsters to Governors, journalist David Clary investigates the pros and cons of the shift toward state-run gambling. Unearthing the sordid history of America's gaming underground, he demonstrates the problems with prohibiting gambling while revealing how today's governors, all competing for a piece of the action, promise their citizens payouts that are rarely delivered. Clary introduces us to a rogue's gallery of colorful characters, from John "Old Smoke" Morrissey, the Irish-born gangster who built Saratoga into a gambling haven in the nineteenth century, to Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate who has furiously lobbied against online betting. By exploring the controversial histories of legal and illegal gambling in America, he offers a fresh perspective on current controversies, including bans on sports and online betting. Entertaining and thought-provoking, Gangsters to Governors considers the past, present, and future of our gambling nation. Author's website (http://www.davidclaryauthor.com)
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number URL Status Notes Barcode
eBook eBook Biblioteca "Angelicum" Pont. Univ. S.Tommaso d'Aquino Nuvola online online - DeGruyter (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Online access Not for loan (Accesso limitato) Accesso per gli utenti autorizzati / Access for authorized users (dgr)9780813584560

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Prologue: Bad Bet-New Jersey And The Revel Atlantic City Fiasco -- Part I. Dens Of Thieves: Government Muscles Out The Mob -- 1. The Sport Of Kings: Horse Racing And The Dark Power Of The Wire -- 2. Golden Ticket: State-Run Lotteries Topple Illegal Numbers Rackets -- 3. State Of Play: Nevada Breaks New Ground With Legalized Gambling -- 4. Mob Scene: Crime Syndicates Overwhelm Authorities In Nevada -- 5. Enemy Within: Government Fights Back Against Mob Influence -- 6. Vegas, Inc.: Corporate America Takes Command In Sin City -- Part II. All In: The New Masters Of Gambling -- 7. Siren Song: The Spectacular Rise And Fall Of Atlantic City -- 8. Betting On A Boom: States Promote Casinos As Engines Of Revival -- 9. Rise Of The Tribes: Tribes And States Forge Uneasy Gambling Partnerships -- 10. A Tangled Web: America'S Deeply Conflicted Approach To Online Gambling -- 11. Games Without Frontiers: Scandals, Bookies, Fantasy Sports, And An Uncertain Future -- Epilogue: Double Or Nothing-States Neglect The Human Cost Of Problem Gambling -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- About The Author

restricted access online access with authorization star

http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec

Generations ago, gambling in America was an illicit activity, dominated by gangsters like Benny Binion and Bugsy Siegel. Today, forty-eight out of fifty states permit some form of legal gambling, and America's governors sit at the head of the gaming table. But have states become addicted to the revenue gambling can bring? And does the potential of increased revenue lead them to place risky bets on new casinos, lotteries, and online games? In Gangsters to Governors, journalist David Clary investigates the pros and cons of the shift toward state-run gambling. Unearthing the sordid history of America's gaming underground, he demonstrates the problems with prohibiting gambling while revealing how today's governors, all competing for a piece of the action, promise their citizens payouts that are rarely delivered. Clary introduces us to a rogue's gallery of colorful characters, from John "Old Smoke" Morrissey, the Irish-born gangster who built Saratoga into a gambling haven in the nineteenth century, to Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate who has furiously lobbied against online betting. By exploring the controversial histories of legal and illegal gambling in America, he offers a fresh perspective on current controversies, including bans on sports and online betting. Entertaining and thought-provoking, Gangsters to Governors considers the past, present, and future of our gambling nation. Author's website (http://www.davidclaryauthor.com)

Issued also in print.

Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.

In English.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 30. Aug 2021)