Gambling is a topic that can arouse a wide range of passionate and often controversial opinions. Is it a harmless pastime or a dangerous addiction? Does it corrupt the state or contribute much-needed funds to local communities? Whether we like it or not, gambling is now a major economic force in the United States. It pays $2.9 billion in taxes, creates hundreds of thousands of jobs, and as an industry has expanded tenfold in the last twenty-five years. This book provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking collection of articles by internationally recognized experts in the study of gambling—doctors and lawyers, journalists and academics. It presents a diverse range of perspectives on the issue of gambling: from legal, political, and economic, to social, psychological, and ethical. Although many of the essays are strongly argued, the collection as a whole offers a balanced range of viewpoints and arguments, allowing reades to decide for themselves what role gambling should play in our society. Among the topics discussed are casino gambling and crime, the expansion of wagering on the Internet, the role of federal and state governments, the nature and extent of gambling addiction, Native American gambling, and the role of gambling in various parts of the world. The stimulating, jargon-free articles in this entertaining and informative volume will help clarify one of the most important debates of our time.