This reader contributes to the sociology of gambling, and offers a variety of sociological approaches to the subject areas, ranging from classical sociological analyses of gambling to contemporary sociological approaches to risk, including pieces from the sociology of risk, risk society, and "governmentality" perspectives. The reader includes sections on: sociological approaches to risk and gambling; gambling histories and sub-cultures; action and play; the state, regulation, and politics. Contributors include: Anthony Giddens, Ulrich Beck, Deborah Upton, Erving Goffman, Georg Simmel, and Walter Benjamin.