TY - BOOK AU - O'Brien, Timothy L., TI - Bad bet: the inside story of the glamour, glitz, and danger of America's gambling industry SN - 812928075 AV - HV 6710 .Ob69 1998 PY - 1998/// CY - New York PB - Times Business KW - Compulsive gambling KW - Gambling N1 - Includes bibliographical references (p. [317]-324) and index N2 - Like tobacco, the gambling industry has its share of dirty little secrets. Its "nicotine" is the compulsive gambler, the relative few who are absolutely necessary to the well-being of the industry because they bring in 80% of its revenue. This long-ignored problem confronts the gambling business with the same threats and challenges that nicotine addiction posed for big tobacco. Bad Bet exposes the false promise of economic revival that has lured communities to depend on gambling for jobs and for a fiscal fix, and the criminal connections of many of its leading companies. Timothy O'Brien also looks at the industry's new frontier in cyberspace. Bad Bet is a cautionary tale about the spreading influence of gambling - and its often devastating effects on communities and people."www.powells.com" ER -