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Dissertation Information for David G. Schwartz

NAME:
- David G. Schwartz

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- History

SCHOOL:
- University of California, Los Angeles (USA) (2000)

ADVISORS:
- Eric H. Monkkonen

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Kathryn Norberg
- Janice L. Reiff
- Jack Katz

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: Suburban Xanadu: The casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, 1945--1978

Abstract: This dissertation charts the development of the casino resort in Southern Nevada from 1945 to 1978 primarily through the exploration of three factors: gender, geography , and government . Gender can be divided into two primary topics, the regendering of gambling as crucial to success of casino and the relationship of prostitution and sex to the casino resort as a vacation destination. Four major issues comprise the rubric of geography: the non-urban nature of casino resort, the Western identity of Las Vegas, the Strip's relationship to Los Angeles, and Las Vegas as a national entertainment suburb.

This process was driven by fiscal concerns such as job creation, regional development, and revenue enhancement. The initial success of casino-style gambling in Las Vegas (1949-52) lured more operators and created even more money for the state. As other development options failed in the 1950s, casino gaming became critical for the state's economic health. The state, thus, became a very interested player, and aided the regulation and normalization of the casino industry. The casinos of Las Vegas competed and cooperated to create a national market for casino gaming. By the 1960s, there was niche specialization and ownership of multiple casinos by a single entity. This speaks to efficient and effective strategies.

Over time, the industry developed internal and external financial controls. The alleged organized crime presence in casino finance and operation can be explained more in terms of structural causes than individual deviancy Finally, the growth of state interest and regulation of gambling in the 1950s, and the concomitant shift in the purpose of regulation from limiting to promoting gaming resulted from statewide social and economic issues.

By the 1970s, the casino resort was no longer a semi-legitimate institution, but was hailed as an urban savior. Many credited the influx of corporate, ownership in the 1970s, but the key to properly understanding the history of the casino resort and its role in local development is to understand it as a gradual evolutionary process keyed to major trends in government and society rather than an anecdotal story of heroes and villains.

MPACT Scores for David G. Schwartz

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-09-11 21:41:51

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Students under David G. Schwartz

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None