By the 1970s, gambling, which had once been a seemingly ubiquitous part of American life, was largely confined to places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. That soon changed as many states began to turn to lottery games as a source of revenue, then licensed riverboat gambling, and then the deluge began. One type of gambling that has undergone a true renaissance is poker. In recent years, poker has...

Officially released on June 19, the NGISC's (mentioned in the March 9, 1999 Scout Report for Social Sciences) final report to Congress, the President, and state governors reveals that casino gambling is America's third-favorite leisure activity in terms of money spent, after video, audio, and computer equipment and books and newspapers. While noting the incentives for development and jobs created...