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January 11 - A new book that compares the growth of casinos and
gambling in South Africa and the United States has been released.
"The Labor of Luck: Casino Capitalism in the United States and South Africa,"
was written by University of Arizona sociologist, Jeff Sallaz and examines the
business and politics of casino gambling in the two countries.
The author spent several years studying the casino landscape of both
countries and interviewed many industry associated people for his book,
including dealers, casino owners and politicians.
The book examines, in particular, what is known as the Nevada model of
casinos, and shows how this model has affected the growth of casino gambling in
the United States over the past 30 years.
Sallaz says that in the past three decades, revenue from gambling in the US
has been more than $35 million - more than what Americans spend on movies, music
and video games combine.
The author shows that in pre-apartheid days,
South African
casinos were deemed 'illegal' and they operated out of the homelands, with
Sun City being the most obvious example.
The majority of these casinos also followed the Nevada model.
However, after casinos become legal in South Africa, Sallaz shows that they
took on an entirely new direction.
"Gamblers in Nevada believe game outcomes result from and individual's
adherence to the 'book' of basic strategy," he writes. "In Gauteng, they believe
that wins and losses derive from the collective decisions made by 'the table'.
The Labor of Luck: Casino Capitalism in the United States and South Africa,
(University of California Press), written by Jeff Sallaz.
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