NCJ Number
46156
Date Published
1978
Length
78 pages
Annotation
HIGHLIGHTS ARE GIVEN OF FINDINGS OF A STUDY ON GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT IN 16 CITIES WITH POPULATIONS OF 250,000 OR MORE; VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH POLICE AND PROSECUTORS RESPOND TO ILLEGAL GAMBLING ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL.
Abstract
THE RANDOMLY SELECTED CITIES WERE STUDIED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF LGISLATIVE DECISIONS RELATED TO GAMBLING ON THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF GAMBLING AND TO EXAMINE THE WAY GAMBLING LAWS ARE ENFORCED. THE CITIES VARIED IN THEIR AMOUNT OF LEGAL GAMBLING FROM THOSE WITH NONE TO THOSE HAVING OFF-TRACK BETTING, A LEGAL LOTTERY, AND LEGAL HORSE RACING. A NEVADA CITY, WHERE THERE IS EXTENSIVE LEGAL GAMBLING, WAS ALSO STUDIED. IN 14 CITIES, A SAMPLE OF POLICE OFFICERS WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND IN ALL CITIES, PROSECUTORS, JUDGES, AND CITIZENS WERE ASKED ABOUT GAMBLING LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT LAWS AGAINST SOCIAL GAMBLING IN PRIVATE ARE PRIMARILY A SYMBOLIC GESTURE ON THE PART OF LEGISLATORS AND ARE NEITHER ENFORCED NOR REASONABLY ENFORCEABLE. GAMBLING LAWS GIVE POLICE AN UNATTRACTIVE TASK FOR WHICH THEY RECEIVE LITTLE CREDIT IF THEY DO A GOOD JOB AND CONSIDERABLE ABUSE IF THEY FAIL (CITIZENS ARE LIKELY TO VIEW NONENFORCEMENT OF GAMBLING LAWS AS AN INDICATION OF POLICE CORRUPTION). IN ABOUT HALF OF THE CITIES, REGIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS WERE REPORTED TO DIRECTLY CONTROL ALL OR A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF ILLEGAL COMMERCIAL GAMBLING. THESE CITIES WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HAD PUBLICLY DISCLOSED GAMBLING-RELATED CORRUPTION IN THE PAST. BOOKMAKING AND NUMBERS RACKETS WERE SAID TO BE RUN PRIMARILY BY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE REMAINING CITIES. THESE CITIES HAD HAD NO SIGNIFICANT PUBLICLY DISCLOSED GAMBLING-RELATED CORRUPTION IN THE PREVIOUS 10 YEARS. GAMBLING LAWS ARE ABOUT AS ENFORCEABLE AS OTHER SOCIAL BEHAVIOR LAWS SUCH AS THOSE REGULATING DRUG AND LIQUOR. THE PENALTIES PROSECUTORS ASK IN GAMBLING CASES ARE NO DETERRENT TO FURTHER INVOLVEMENT IN COMMERCIAL GAMBLING. MORE SERIOUS PENALTIES ARE REQUIRED BEFORE LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL HAVE ANY LASTING EFFECT. THE LEGALIZATION OF HORSE TRACK BETTING OR LOTTERIES HAS NOT MADE THE ENFORCEMENT JOB EITHER EASIER OR HARDER. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE POLICE AND COURTS WORK MORE CLOSELY ON GAMBLING CASES, THUS ENSURING THAT MAJOR CRIMINAL FIGURES RECEIVE MORE SEVERE SENTENCES AND MORE CONSISTENT TREATMENT. IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT CITIZEN COMPLAINTS BE TABULATED AND USED TO TRACK CITIZEN CONCERN ON THE SUBJECT. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS, CHOICES MUST BE MADE AS TO TYPES OF GAMBLING ENFORCEMENT THAT WILL BE PURSUED. WITHOUT CLEAR POLICIES, OFFICERS ARE UNCLEAR ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, AN AMBIGUITY WHICH LEADS TO FRUSTRATION AND DISSATISFACTION. FOR PROSECUTORS AND COURTS, CLEAR POLICIES MUST ALSO BE CREATED, AND POLICE WORK MUST BE BACKED UP BY STRONG PROSECUTION IF IT IS TRULY THE INTENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO ENFORCE GAMBLING LAWS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED.