GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT IN MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES

• NCJ Number: 46259
• Author(s): F J FOWLER; T W MAGIONE; F E PRATTER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 338 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75NI-99-0084
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: New England Bureau for Criminal Justice Services; Ctr for Survey Research
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INSIGHTS INTO WAYS IN WHICH SUCH ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS MAY BE ENHANCED ARE EXAMINED RELATIVE TO RECENT LEGISLATIVE MOVES TOWARD LEGALIZING COMMERCIAL GAMBLING OPERATIONS.

Abstract

THIS PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE TWO MAJOR GOALS: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS RELATED TO GAMBLING, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO RECENT DECISIONS TO PERMIT SOME FORMS OF LEGAL GAMBLING; AND TO EXAMINE THE WAY GAMBLING LAWS ARE ENFORCED, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO VARIATION IN ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES AND THE SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS OF SUCH VARIATIONS. THIS PROJECT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE EFFECTS OF CONTEMPORARY EXPERIENCES WITH LEGALIZED GAMBLING ON LAW ENFORCEMENT: THE EFFECT OF THE WAY ANTIGAMBLING LAWS ARE DRAFTED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT; THE EFFECT OF GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES ON POLICE OFFICER MORALE OR ON THE POTENTIAL FOR POLICE CORRUPTION; THE EFFECT OF GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES ON CITIZEN RESPECT FOR THE POLICE; METHODS FOR GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT; AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE OR MANAGEMENT DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO, OR SEEM LIKELY TO, IMPROVE GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT. A SAMPLE OF 16 RANDOMLY SELECTED CITIES WITH POPULATIONS OF 250,000 OR MORE WAS STUDIED, INCLUDING CITIES WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AMOUNT OF LEGALIZED GAMBLING RANGING FROM OFF-TRACK BETTING AND LEGAL LOTTERY TO LEGAL HORSE RACING AND CASINO GAMBLING. IN EACH CITY, KEY POLICE OFFICIALS, PROSECUTORS, AND JUDGES WERE INTERVIEWED; LEGAL STATUTES WERE ANALYZED; RECORD DATA WERE COLLATED; AND IN 14 CITIES, A PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF POLICE OFFICERS COMPLETED A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE. IN ADDITION, A SPECIAL SET OF QUESTIONS DEALING WITH GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS INCLUDED IN A NATIONAL SURVEY TO PROVIDE DATA ON CITIZEN GOALS FOR GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. THE MAJOR CONCLUSION WAS THAT GAMBLING LAWS ARE LARGELY UNENFORCEABLE. SELECTED REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES REGARDING GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS OF THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, SURVEY METHODS, AND MATERIALS FOR DATA COLLECTION ARE PROVIDED. EXTENSIVE USE IS MADE OF ACCOMPANYING TABULAR DATA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)