William R. Eadington (1946-2013) was an American economist and the founder of Gambling Studies. He served as the Philip J. Satre chair in Gaming Studies in the Department of Economics and the director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the
University of Nevada, Reno.
Eadington was an economist.[1] He joined the Department of Economics as a faculty member at the
University of Nevada, Reno in 1969.[1] He served as the director of its Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.[1][2] He was subsequently promoted to an endowed chair, serving as the Philip J. Satre chair in Gaming Studies.[3] Meanwhile, he was a visiting professor at the
Harvard Medical School as well as the
University of Salford and the
London School of Economics in England.[2]
Eadington organized the inaugural National Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking in 1974.[1] It later became known as the International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking.[3] He edited conference papers and published them as books.[2] He was also the editor of the 1984 issue of the Annals of the American Academy of Political Science on gambling.[2] Additionally, he published articles in academic journals like the Journal of Gambling Studies, International Gambling Studies, the Journal of Gambling Business and Economics, the UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, the Annals of Tourism Research, the Journal of Travel Research, and the Journal of Economic Perspectives.[3]
Eadington served on the board of the
National Council on Problem Gambling.[1] He also advised the governments of South Africa and South Korea on the economic benefits of gambling.[1]
Eadington received an honorary doctorate from the
University of Macau in 2008.[4] He was inducted into the
Gaming Hall of Fame in 2011.[5] He received the Goldman Lifetime Award for Advocacy from the National Council on Problem Gambling in 2012.[6]
Personal life and death
Eadington was married to Margaret Dean.[1] They had a son, Michael Eadington, and a daughter, Diana Eadington-Reed.[1]
Eadington died on February 11, 2013, in
Crystal Bay, Nevada.[1] He was 67 years old.[1] Three days after his death, on February 14, 2013, Senator
Dean Heller highlighted Eadington's "academic contributions and expertise in this field have been invaluable to the State of Nevada and to UNR" and called him "honorable Nevadan" before the Senate.[6]
Works
Eadington, William R., ed. (1976). Gambling and Society: Interdisciplinary Studies on the Subject of Gambling. Springfield, Illinois: Thomas.
ISBN9780398034597.
OCLC1324494.
Eadington, William R., ed. (1990). Indian Gaming and the Law. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828306.
OCLC22236908.
Cornelius, Judy A.; Eadington, William R., eds. (1991). Gambling and Public Policy: International Perspectives. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828313.
OCLC24762163.
Cornelius, Judy A.; Eadington, William R., eds. (1992). Gambling and Commercial Gaming: Essays in Business, Economics, Philosophy and Science. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828320.
OCLC26207962.
Eadington, William R.; Smith, Valene L., eds. (1992). Tourism Alternatives: Potentials and Problems in the Development of Tourism. Philandelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.
ISBN9780812231489.
OCLC25629190.
Cornelius, Judy A.; Eadington, William R., eds. (1993). Gambling Behavior and Problem Gambling. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828337.
OCLC28829082.
Cornelius, Judy A.; Eadington, William R., eds. (1997). Gambling: Public Policies and the Social Sciences. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828375.
OCLC37537652.
Cornelius, Judy A.; Eadington, William R., eds. (1999). The Business of Gaming: Economic and Management Issues. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828382.
OCLC41535776.
Cornelius, Judy A.; Eadington, William R.; Vancura, Olaf, eds. (2000). Finding the Edge: Mathematical Analysis of Casino Games. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828405.
OCLC44157285.
Cornelius, Judy A.; Eadington, William R.; Marotta, Jeffrey J., eds. (2002). The Downside: Problem and Pathological Gambling. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780942828399.
OCLC50470964.
Eadington, William R.; Ethier, Stewart N., eds. (2007). Optimal Play: Mathematical Studies of Games and Gambling. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780979687303.
OCLC206497190.
Doyle, Meighan R.; Eadington, William R., eds. (2009). Integrated Resort Casinos: Implications for Economic Growth and Social Impacts. Reno, Nevada: Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.
ISBN9780979687310.
OCLC449659156.