In June 1999, the National Gambling Impact Study Commission concluded its two-year exploration into the social and economic impact of legalized gambling in the United States. In fulfillment of their responsibilities, the Commission submitted a detailed report of their findings to the President, Congress, Governors, and tribal leaders. Please read the contents of the report below.
Introduction
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Overview – The expansion of legalized gambling; impact and controversy (a moving target), the role of government (no master plan); the lack of information (time for a pause).
Chapter 2 Gambling in the United States – Lotteries (growth of lotteries, types of lottery games, the contradictory role of state governments); convenience gambling and stand-alone electronic gambling devices (issues); casinos; riverboat casinos; Native American tribal gambling; pari-mutuel wagering (the horse-racing industry, the greyhound industry, jai alai, issues, egd’s and the pari-mutuel industry, simulcasting and account wagering); sports wagering (issues); internet.
Chapter 3 Gambling Regulation – Governments set the rules; gambling and the public interest; regulating gambling (the federal role); the state role (lotteries); The administrative structure of casinos and pari-mutuel gambling; sports wagering; convenience gambling and stand-alone electronic gambling devices; advertising (supporting a restriction of advertising, the foundation for the ban: the Federal Communications Act, is the ban an indirect gambling regulation?; This chapter looks at gambling in New Orleans; general guidelines; underage guidelines.
Chapter 4 Problem and Pathological Gambling – The research (risk factors for problem and pathological gambling); estimating the prevalence (the commission’s research findings); characteristics of pathological gamblers; under-age problem gambling; the costs of problem gamblers (the costs to problem and pathological gamblers, the costs to society); treating the problem (private sector efforts, casino questionnaire, non-profit and other efforts, government response); conclusion; recommendations.
Chapter 5 Internet Gambling – The emergence of internet gambling; types of internet gambling sites; candidates for prohibition (youth gambling, pathological gamblers, criminal use); state of the law: the applicability of 18 U.S.C. § 1084; regulation or prohibition (state efforts, Native American internet gambling); an enhanced federal role at state request (federal efforts); obstacles to regulation; recommendations.
Chapter 6 Native American Tribal Gambling – Growth of tribal gambling; tribal sovereignty and Indian gambling (federal policy: failure of the “trust responsibility” and alternative revenue source to Indian gambling, the move toward self-determination, review of regulations, state criticism if IGRA, mechanism for handling impasse between tribes and states, other mechanisms); local community impacts; economic development; employment laws and Indian tribal governments; other issues for consideration (taxation, exclusivity payments, off-reservation gambling); recommendations.
Chapter 7 Gambling’s Impacts on People and Places – Determining the impact of gambling; growth and employment (pari-mutuel, Native American tribal government gambling, other gambling industries); a careful look at economic benefits (crime, financial and credit issues, other economic impacts, local effects); the social impact of gambling (problem and pathological gambling, adolescent gambling, responding to adolescent gambling, suicide, divorce, homelessness, abuse and neglect, local effects); conclusion; recommendations.
Chapter 8 Future Research Recommendations
Appendix 1 Commission Member’s Statements
Appendix 2 Commission Members
Appendix 3 Acknowledgments
Appendix 4 National Gambling Impact Study Commission Act
Appendix 5 List of References
Appendix 6 Sources of Information and Resources on Gambling
Appendix 7 Glossary
Appendix 8 Catalog of Gambling Laws, Regulations, and Ordinances
