Gambling on the American Dream

Provides a historical perspective for understanding the exponential growth of casinos in the United States since 1990, by telling the story of Atlantic City, New Jersey since the 1970s. This work uses oral history to focus on the human stories of the region in addition to the broader story of economic and social impacts. Introduction; Chapter 1 We are for Gambling: The Pre-Casino Years and Casino Legalization; Chapter 2 A Master Plan: The Casino Era Begins; Chapter 3 A Winning Bet? Success and Struggle in the 1980s; Chapter 4 Recession and Recovery: Turning a Casino Corner; Chapter 5 Casino Magnets: New Immigrants and Atlantic City Opportunity; Chapter 6 Big Visions: Expansion, Consolidation and the Great Tunnel-Connector War of the 1990s; Chapter 7 New Stylings: Finance, Retail and Challenges at the Turn of the Century; Chapter 8 Atlantic City and the American Casino Era; Chapter 9 Epilogue;