Introduction

When I was asked to consider putting together an edited collection of readings on the theme of the ‘Economics of Gambling’, I was both excited and hesitant. I was excited because the field has grown so rapidly in recent years, and there is so much new material to draw upon. I was hesitant, however, because I knew that a book of this nature would not be truly satisfactory unless the papers included in it were new and hitherto unpublished.