ABSTRACT
The vibrancy of a democracy is evident in the extent to which its citizens and its community organizations actively participate in its democratic structures and processes. In previous chapters I have argued that the widespread proliferation of commercialized gambling cuts across the social and political ecologies resulting in unforeseen and long-term impacts to the cohesion of family and broader social networks. The following chapter considers the relative payoff to communities of the expansion of commercialized gambling. It first summarizes the main forms of harm to communities. It next reviews the potential benefits and examines in more detail ways in which communities benefit financially from gambling. It argues that financial benefits from gambling can be a double-edged sword. For the purposes of this chapter, the term community organization refers to a broad range of organizations that all share a common purpose in seeking to improve the quality of life of their members or the people they serve. Such organizations include nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), not-for-profit societies and trusts, civil society organizations, government and quasi-government organizations, community well-being organizations, health service organizations, and academic and research organizations.
