American Indian communities in particular, both on and off reservations, reportedly have realized positive social and economic effects from gambling 'that far outweigh the negative' (Cornell et al., 1998:iv see also Anders, 1996 Cozzetto 1995). The benefits are borne out in reports, for example, of increased employment and income, increased tax revenues, enhanced tourism and recreational opportunities, and rising property values (e.g., Eadington, 1984 Filby and Harvey, 1988 Chadbourne et al., 1997, Oddo, 1997). Clearly, to address this and related policy issues, the economic and social costs of pathological gambling need to be considered in the context of the overall impact that gambling has on society. The important question, from a public policy perspective, is which is larger and by how much. There is no question that legalized gambling has brought economic benefits to some communities just as there is no question that problem gambling has imposed economic and social costs.
The growth of legal gambling in the United States in recent decades has been fueled largely by increasing public acceptance of gambling as a form of recreation, and by the promise of substantial economic benefits and tax revenues for the communities in which the gambling occurs.
