The LUCK BUSINESS

Rating:
Summary: Anti-Gambling ; Good Journalism, but Unbalanced Research
Review: Mr. Goodman and his coauthor have taken the ills of the gambling industry and provided a snapshot-like, journalistic and moralistic view of the problems. The authors never address the other side of the story about this industry; the job and business formation, the enjoyment the majority of the gaming public gets from gambling, and the considerable revenues that state and local governments receive from taxation and the distribution of employee's income. There are no researchers who rigorously study gambling and risk-taking who support the unbalanced approach that Mr. Goodman has taken in the book. To further clarify the situation, Mr. Goodman has never tried to published a study or paper in this area that would be reviewed by experts in the field. In short, the book is good journalism but unbalanced and shoddy research. This is great stuff for further inflaming the passion of the anti-gambling public and for sound bites, but it is not to be used for policy preparation/analysis or for a general understanding of the topic.

Rating:
Summary: Must reading for gamblers
Review: 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.