Tributes to the International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking

INTERNATIONAL GAMING INSTITUTE WILLIAM F. HARRAH COLLEGE OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATION GamingGaming Research & Review JournalJournal Volume 16, Issue 2, 2012 UNLV International Gaming Institute William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration ACE Denken Co. Ltd. Endowment UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal Volume 16, Issue 2, 2012 SPECIAL ISSUE: A TRIBUTE TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GAMBLING AND RISK TAKING UNLV International Gaming Institute William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration International Editorial Advisory Board UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal DR. KI-JOON BACK Publisher University of Houston Donald Snyder, Dean DR. BILLY BAI William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA MR. ANTHONY CABOT Attorney: Lewis & Roca Executive Editor DR. K.S. CHON Bo J. Bernhard, Ph.D. Hong Kong Polytechnic University Executive Director DR. WANDA M. COSTEN International Gaming Institutue University of Tennessee William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration DR. WILLIAM R. EADINGTON E-mail: [email protected] University of Nevada, Reno DR. MEHMET ERDEM Associate Editor University of Nevada, Las Vegas Ashok Singh, Ph.D. International Gaming Institute MR. ROBERT D. FAISS Attorney, Lionel Sawyer & Collins Managing Editor DR. ZHENG GU University of Nevada, Las Vegas Brett Abarbanel, MS William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration DR. NERILEE HING Southern Cross University New South Wales, Australia Subscription Office DR. CATHY HSU Bo Bernhard, Ph.D. Hong Kong Polytechnic University University of Nevada, Las Vegas DR. SUDHIR H. KALE 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 456037 Bond University, Australia Las Vegas, NV 89154-6037 DR. GARY LOVEMAN Chairman, President & CEO Telephone: (702) 895-2935 Fax: (702) 895-1135 Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. E-mail: [email protected] DR. ANTHONY F. LUCAS E-mail: [email protected] University of Nevada, Las Vegas http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/grrj/ DR. LIA NOWER, J.D., Ph.D. Center for Gambling Studies Rutgers University © Copyright 2012 UNLV International Gaming Institute May not be reproduced without written permission of International Gaming Institute, MR. TAKATOSHI TAKAMOTO William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ace Denken Co. Ltd., Japan PRINTED BY UNLV REPROGRAPHICS/DESIGN SERVICES DR. DOUGLAS M. WALKER College of Charleston ISSN: 1531-0930 UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal Volume 16, Issue 2 CONTENTS EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION Bo J. Bernhard ACADEMIC ARTICLES Articles in this section are refereed using a double-blind review. A History of the International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking ..............................1 David G. Schwartz William R. Eadington William R. Eadington and the Economics of Gambling ............................................................9 Kahlil S. Philander Douglas M. Walker The Systematic Study of Gaming Operations ...........................................................................19 Andrew MacDonald William R. Eadington Influencing International Foundations for Legalization, Policy and Commercial Gambling: A Tribute to William Eadington’s International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking ................................................................................27 Alex Blaszczynski SPECIAL SECTION: TRIBUTES TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GAMBLING AND RISK TAKING Max Abbott Bo Bernhard Peter Collins Jeffrey Derevensky Stewart Ethier Don Feeney Dean Hestermann Connie Jones Sudhir Kale Henry Lesieur Day-Yang Liu Jeffrey Marotta Jan McMillen Reece Middleton Pauliina Raento Pieter Remmers Richard Rosenthal Richard Schuetz David G. Schwartz Howard Shaffer Carlos Siu Ricardo Siu Garry Smith Katherine Spilde Baby Tyawa Rachel Volberg Douglas Walker Keith Whyte Harold Wynne CONCLUDING ESSAY ..............................................................................................................91 Reflections: Insights from studying gambling in its era of change, or what the past 43 years have been about William R. Eadington EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION Bo Bernhard, Ph.D. Executive Editor e-mail: [email protected] Special Issue: A Tribute to the International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking Welcome to what I believe to be the “most special” Special Issue in the history of UNLV Gaming Research and Review Journal. When this journal began publishing in 1994, this academic field was just beginning to mature, and a handful of academics recognized a need to provide more business-oriented, applied perspectives on the global gaming industry. Among those academics was Dr. William R. Eadington (always “Bill”), who served on our founding editorial board, and who has since helped shape the journal’s vision through countless editorial and authorial contributions. As we approach the 15th con- vening of his incomparable International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, we decided that a tribute issue was very much in order. This tribute focuses on the conference’s many contributions, viewed through the eyes of over 30 illustrious contributors. Our goal in titling this a “tribute to the conference,” quite frankly, was not only to docu- ment the history of the most important conference in the field, but also to convince Bill to participate (because a more direct “Tribute to Bill Eadington” issue would no doubt offend his modest sensibilities). Having said this, let us begin by offending these very sensibilities, and talk a bit about Bill and his contributions to the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). It cannot be a common occurrence for an Before Dr. Eadington arrived NSHE faculty member to have created a major academic field on the UNR campus in 1969, from scratch, but we are quite fortunate indeed to have this very academic research on gambling type of academician among our ranks. In the field devoted to the academic study of gambling and gaming industries, Profes- was virtually non-existent. sor Eadington is the founding giant, the unquestioned “dean” Today, many hundreds of serious of research, and the internationally (and even rarer, universally) international scholars attend respected leader. his prestigious International Before Dr. Eadington arrived on the UNR campus in 1969, Conferences on Gambling and academic research on gambling was virtually non-existent. Today, many hundreds of serious international scholars attend his pres- Risk Taking (he has hosted 14 tigious International Conferences on Gambling and Risk Taking thus far, with the 15th arriving (he has hosted 14 thus far, with the 15th arriving next May – in a next May – in a very special very special co-hosted event that UNLV and UNR will produce to- co-hosted event that UNLV and gether). At this conference, all attendees look forward to his “state of the field” addresses that serve as can’t-miss opening keynotes. UNR will produce together). These scholars – most all of whom trace their academic lineage directly or indirectly to Dr. Eadington – now themselves publish several dozen rigorous peer-reviewed research articles every year, in areas as diverse as anthropology, psychology, sociology, mathematics, public policy, criminology, and of course Bill’s “home field” of economics. Although he is fully comfortable in the world of ivory-tower academic elites, Bill’s work has always been very applied in nature. I have observed this on multiple (and even international) occasions while listening to Dr. Eadington’s presentations in public policy settings, where his encyclopedic knowledge of virtually every global gaming jurisdic- tion ensures that new policy decisions are made in a manner that is informed by the suc- cesses and failures of old ones – thanks to the presence of the only scholar in the world who can possibly provide such comprehensive information. This is especially true of gaming legalization debates, which are often contentious hearings with vocal interest groups on both the pro- and anti-legalization sides. In these settings, Dr. Eadington’s vast, sober scholarship usually prevails, providing a much-needed independent perspec- tive to those tasked with making important public policy decisions. From our backyard in Nevada to outposts as far as South Africa and South Korea, Dr. Eadington is the academic voice to Moving forward, we are pleased whom the gaming policy world turns when in need of expertise. to announce that our north and On an even more micro-level applied front, Dr. Eadington south NSHE partnerships will has also made significant contributions to the gaming manage- ment literature, developing co-authored articles and co-produced continue to expand and grow forums with business leaders around the gaming world. His past (in an exponential process that decade of research work with Andrew MacDonald, one of the characterizes much of Bill’s truly progressive business leaders in the international gaming in- career – in a manner that only dustry, stands out as particularly influential here. This partnership a passionate mathematician like also blossomed at their co-moderated Executive Development Programs for senior-level gaming industry executives, where Bill can truly appreciate!) Bill’s reputation and skill brought together leading thinkers from all over to debate and discuss, over a ten-day “think tank” of sorts in Lake Tahoe, the most important challenges facing the industry. We are fortunate to produce a thorough summary of the MacDonald-Eadington partnership in the pages of this issue. Meanwhile, in the field

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