The Luck Business: The Devastating Consequences and Broken Promises of America's Gambling Explosion

This book should be read by anyone who gambles, particularly those who may be attracted to gambling by the ever-increasing opportunities. Professor Goodman has amassed documentary and anecdotal evidence about the true cost to society of gambling activities. His conclusions are in step with those of several unbiased academic researchers as published in peer-reviewed journals , e.g. J. W. Kindt, "Follow the Money: Gambling, Ethics, and Subpoenas," The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, Vol. 556, March 1998. Readers are provided corroborating evidence through hundreds of notes encompassing 27 of the 273 pages of the book. Opportunities for additional reading are also presented in a 30-page bibliography. Some readers may be disappointed that Goodman emphasizes economic analysis without presenting many questions about the morality of gambling. However, moral issues are raised in the statistics about the number of addicted and problem gamblers and the portion of these gamblers who resort to crime to finance their addiction. Particularly revealing is the research that establishes that most of gambling-induced crime is committed by persons with no prior criminal record. The author also raises questions about the ethics of the activities of government in encouraging citizens to gamble. All in all, Professor Goodman finds flaws in the arguments that have been used to promote gambling and provides credible sources for his conclusions.