Gambling Cultures : Studies in History and Interpretation

A study of modern gambling as it has emerged as a commercial industry, which analyzes the ambiguous relationship between morality and risk taking and examines the contradictory stances of governments.

From bingo in the United Kingdom to slots in Las Vegas and Sydney, to `jambo'' in Cameroon, gambling is a feature of societies across the world. Gambling Cultures explores the complex relationship between cash and culture as gambling emerges as a global phenomenon. Traditional accounts of gambling''s pleasures and dangers talk in terms of addiction, compulsion, greed and profit. By contrast, this work focuses on modern gambling as it has emerged as a commercial industry, analyzing the ambiguous relationship between morality and risk taking and studies the contradictory stance of governments. Providing a range of case studies from Africa, Australia, the USA and Europe, Gambling Cultures offers a unique, comparative framework for the historical and cultural analysis of contemporary gambling practices.