Cashing In A View of One State's Experiences with Commercial Gaming and Moral Hazard

Despite the widespread social acceptance of gaming and the virtual explosion of the gambling industry, little is understood about the relationship between government and legal gambling, particularly with respect to ethics. This article is the result of a case study that views the experiences of Colorado with commercial gaming. It explores special ethical considerations, including an examination of opportunities for conflict of interest and for moral hazard. The discussion begins with a macro-level perspective of commercial gaming in the United States and then focuses on the phenomenon in two towns in Colorado. The findings of this study pertain to taxation, the nature of the codependent relationship between government and gambling, and the treatment of the issue of problem gambling.