While there has been an unprecedented explosion of legalized gambling in Canada - particularly in the form of casinos and electronic games - the public has become increasingly aware of addictions to gambling. Casino State is a timely collection that examines the controversial role of the state as a promoter of gambling activities often against the best interest of its citizens.

Investigating the tensions that arise from the relationships between gambling and morality, risk, social policy, crime, and youth problem gambling, these essays draw upon a range of disciplines to consider the economic benefits and social costs of legalized gambling. A contemporary study that raises important questions about state conduct, precarious policy issues, public health, and addictions, Casino State provides a necessary and comprehensive overview of the central issues related to the legalization and expansion of gambling in Canada.

James F. Cosgrave is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Trent University.

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THOMAS R. KLASSEN is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at York University, and
Coordinator of the Public Policy and Administration Program.

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'Geographers should read this book as an intellectual challenge. The discussion shows how gambling is fundamentally rooted in space, place, and landscape, but these aspects remain poorly understood in gambling studies.'

The Canadian Geographer: vol55:02:2011