We discuss target populations, types of interventions tested, trends in design, funding sources, industry concentration, the role of economists in social experimentation, the reasons few social experiments have been conducted outside the United States, and the future of the social experiment market. Sign up for e-JEP The Economics of Casino Gambling William R. Eadington America's casino industry expanded rapidly in the 1990s, spreading from Nevada and Atlantic City to mining towns, riverboats, race tracks and tribal lands, and moving from isolated resort settings to urban and suburban venues. This article examines economic characteristics of the casino industry, including the evolution of major casino markets, pricing of gaming products, market structures, regulatory constraints, and social and economic impacts attributable to casinos. When competitive, casinos show strong economies of scale and scope, but many new jurisdictions limit the number or size of operations, thus creating substantial economic rents. Allocation of these rents are fundamentally politically determined.
Many government programs have implicit penalties or subsidies for marriage.
For example, many couples pay higher income taxes when married than their combined tax liabilities as single filers, while many other couples receive a marriage subsidy because their joint taxes fall with marriage. Likewise, most low-income couples are eligible for higher welfare benefits if they are separated rather than married. This article discusses the marriage penalty, with a particular focus on tax and transfer programs. No abstract available. However, lecture and textbook presentations can be complemented with classroom exercises in which students make decisions and interact.