Fw. Preston et al., GAMBLING AS STIGMATIZED BEHAVIOR - REGIONAL RELABELING AND THE LAW, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 556, 1998, pp. 186-196
The history of gambling, both internationally and in the United States
, is that of a stigmatized behavior having passed through numerous cyc
les of guarded acceptance and prohibition. The recent spread of gambli
ng in the United States has been characterized by very specific attemp
ts to neutralize the stigma associated with the behavior. Though appar
ently not the sufficient variable in such campaigns of acceptance, red
ucing the stigma has been necessary. As part of such campaigns, the su
ccessful regulation and control model of Nevada has been utilized wide
ly. Yet an examination of control and regulation experiences suggests
that regional differences are a crucial factor in the success or failu
re of the gaming enterprise.