Finding fear and loathing in Las Vegas

Abstract

Casinos serve as the proverbial devil on the shoulder to strengthen the convictions -and addictions -of those who have succumbed to the controlling mechanisms of casino culture, and the tangential addictions that often accompany gambling disorders. Acknowledging that millions of people gamble on a daily basis without negative outcomes, the present project seeks to draw attention to the fact that little scholarly attention is given to 'leisure industries', such as corporatized gambling, that can create parasitic and exploitative relationships with the public that they purport to serve. By exploring the unique relations and interactions between the staff and clientele of a specific casino in Las Vegas, the purpose of the current study is to shed light on the nuanced and ambiguous relations between casino and gambler. While it appears we can re-create the baser versions of ourselves, we sought to illustrate the cost that comes for some gamblers.