GAMBLING AS STIGMATIZED BEHAVIOR - REGIONAL RELABELING AND THE LAW

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.