NCJ Number
43103
Date Published
Unknown
Length
526 pages
Annotation
HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF GAMBLING LEGISLATION IS GIVEN FOR MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, AND ORGEGON.
Abstract
A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF GAMBLING ACTIVITY AND GAMBLING LEGISLATION IS GIVEN FOR EACH STATE FOLLOWED BY A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF APPLICABLE LAW CITATIONS AND COURT CASES. MISSOURI, NORTH CAROLINA, AND OKLAHOMA HAVE THE STRICTEST PROHIBITIONS AGAINST GAMBLING. IN MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW MEXICO, AND OREGON, GAMBLING EXCESSES OF THE FRONTIER LED TO STRONG ANTIGAMBLING LEGISLATION IN THE LATE 1800'S; TODAY THESE STATES ALLOW ONLY PARIMUTUEL HORSERACING, LOTTERIES FOR A RECOGNIZED CHARITY OR SMALL BUSINESS PROMOTION, AND PRIVATE GAMBLING. OREGON SPECIFICALLY DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL AND NONPROFESSIONAL GAMBLING IN A 1971 STATUTE; NORTH DAKOTA, ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE ANTIGAMBLING STATE, MADE THE SAME DISTINCTION IN 1973. OHIO ALSO HAD A HISTORY OF WIDESPREAD GAMBLING FOLLOWED BY A REFORM MOVEMENT. TODAY IT ALLOWS HORSERACING, SOCIAL GAMBLING, AND THE STATE RUN LOTTERY. NEW HAMPSHIRE PASSED ITS FIRST LAW AGAINST GAMBLING IN 1679 AND FOR ALMOST 300 YEARS WAS STRONGLY ANTIGAMBLING. A CHANGING POPULATION COMBINED WITH A NEED FOR STATE REVENUE HAS GRADUALLY LED TO A RELAXATION OF STATE LAW. TODAY, A THIRD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE REVENUE COMES FROM 'SIN' TAXES, MOSTLY ON LIQUOR AND GAMBLING. NEW YORK HAS HAD A HISTORY OF ORGANIZED CRIME RUNNING GAMBLING OPERATIONS AND CONTINUAL ATTEMPTS TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM. AT PRESENT, HORSERACING, OFFTRACK BETTING, BINGO, AND LOTTERIES ARE LEGAL. ENFORCEMENT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. NEW JERSEY WAS FORMERLY ANTIGAMBLING BUT NEED FOR STATE REVENUE HAS LED TO REGULATED PARIMUTUEL BETTING, BINGO, AND A STATE LOTTERY. IN NEVADA GAMBLING IS THE STATE'S LARGEST INDUSTRY, ATTRACTING 22 MILLION TOURISTS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE CASINOS AND RACETRACKS ANNUALLY.