As Director of this Commission, and as a former Federal prosecutor involved in enforcement efforts against organized crime, I have had a unique opportunity to examine the subject of gambling in its entirety. Until the Commission began conducting its investigations and research 3 years ago, no such examination had been possible. Despite the work of previous study groups and individual scholars, information about gambling law, practice, attitudes, and behavior had been fragmented, inchoate, and often contradictory.

Seeing gambling in such comprehensive detail has considerably broadened my perspective toward it and led me to the inescapable conclusion that we can no longer afford to be ill-informed and complacent about a matter of such manifest national concern. Existing policies that accomplish little for the minority of the people, and frustrate the will of the majority, should not be perpetuated.

Inevitably, in the study of a subject so complex, certain questions remain unanswered and certain issues unresolved. In matters regarding gambling, particularly, many issues can only be decided ultimately by each individual according to his conscience. This is as it should be. Neither this Commission nor any other governmental body should attempt to impose its will on the public-or any segment of it. To that extent, this Report is complete, offering its conclusions and recommendations for the judgment of the American people and their elected representatives, who will best determine the wisdom and value of the Commission's work.

The Commission on the Review of the National Policy Toward Gambling was created by Congress in the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-452). Its mission was to study gambling as it exists in America and to develop recommendations for the States to follow in formulating their own gambling policies. In its 3 years of operation, the Commission staff collected, reviewed, and summarized all available material on gambling. Staff members and consultants prepared more than 30 research

papers and surveys on every aspect of gambling. In addition, the Commission held 43 days of hearings across the country, taking testimony from more than 275 Federal and State law enforcement officials and policy-makers, persons involved in every phase of legal-and illegalgambling, and ordinary citizens who reflect the way their communities feel about gambling.

I personally would like to thank the members of this Commission, who so generously took time out from their busy schedules to debate the many complex issues before them. And to Charles Morin, our chairman, goes the deep appreciation of everyone connected with the Commission, for his concern, his leadership abilities, his continual encouragement, and his unfailing sense of perspective, which helped balance the diverse views brought to this undertaking.

The Commission is especially grateful to the many people in the industry-including those involved in racing, off-track betting, lotteries, casinos, and bingo-who were so generous with their time and thoughts. And a special thanks must go to the dedicated staff of this Commission, whose diligence and commitment to the project were exemplary. Without all of these people, this Report would not be possible.

The Report that grew out of their contributions represents the Commission's best efforts to develop rational policies toward gambling. This, in fact, is the first time that a national commission has sought to provide methodologically sound research and recommendations on this subject to each State and individual. While some differences of opinion understandably exist regarding the specifics of certain recommendations, this Report as a whole represents the aggregate judgment of all the commissioners. Ultimately, however, it will be the aggregate judgment of other groups of people-the citizens of the various States-who will determine their State's policy toward gambling; if enough of them disagree with a finding of the Commission, they will openly challenge that finding; this is appropriate and a function of democracy.

James E. Rithi