This is the third book to be produced by members of the Gambling Research Group – associated with Tilburg University’s Faculty of Law concerning issues closely connected with the debate on the gambling policies that the European Union and its Member States are pursuing. The first book – Alan Littler and Cyrille Fijnaut (eds), The Regulation of Gambling: European and National Perspectives (Leiden, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2007) – mainly considers the legal aspects of gambling regulation, at both European Union and Member State level. The second book – Tom Coryn, Cyrille Fijnaut and Alan Littler (eds), Economic Aspects of Gambling Regulation: EU and US Perspectives (Leiden, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2008) – looks at research conducted in the United States and the European Union into the costs and benefits involved in the regulation of gambling. The contributions to this third book turn the spotlight on two social problems: crime and addiction, both of which play a significant part in the institutional debate in the European Union concerning whether gambling should be treated as a service that – like other services – should be subject to the laws universally applicable to the internal market. This volume is primarily devoted to the research that has been conducted in several Member States into the problems of gambling-related crime and addiction. It also examines developments at EU level: What policy is the European Commission currently pursuing? And what stance does the European Court of Justice take these days? Crime and addiction problems that can arise in the context of online gambling and at possible ways of keeping them under control. are also examined.

As more and more states are becoming dependent on gambling revenue, we are opening the doors to novice gamblers and increasing the potential for existing gamblers to cross the line into illegal activities. Those who have never gambled before, or never engaged in any criminal activity are susceptible to the lure of gambling's promise of instant riches and escape from loneliness, stress, and boredom.

Since the UK Gambling Act of 2005 was introduced, gambling has stopped being seen, politically and legally as an inherent vice and is now viewed as a legitimate form of entertainment. Gambling Regulation and Vulnerability explores the laws around gambling that aim to protect society and individuals, examining the differences between regulatory rhetoric and the impact of legislative and regulatory measures. Malgorzata Carran finds that although the Gambling Act introduced many positive changes to gambling regulation, it has created an environment in which protection of vulnerable individuals becomes difficult. Carran challenges the existing legislative premise that regulation alone is able to balance the effect of liberalisation for those who are vulnerable.

This engaging book, written in an accessible and concise manner, methodically unravels the complexities of regulating cross-border online gambling. The focus of the wellresearched materials highlights the tensions which arise between the execution of national policies and the international ubiquity of internet-based trade. With well thought out examples the narrative illustrates how national policy choices clash with one another, not only via attempts to liberalize markets but also through the application of rules of private international law.

This book explores the manifold actual, possible and probable interconnections between gambling and crime in the context of the increased availability of wagering activities across many regions of the world. It examines the impact of the proliferation and propinquity of land-based betting establishments on crime, the role of organised crime in the provision of both licit and illicit forms of gambling, as well as problem gambling, crime and the administration of criminal justice. It also assesses the links between gambling, sport and corruption and the dimensions of crime that takes place in and around internet gambling sites. A thought-provoking study, this will be of particular interest to scholars in the fields of sociology, criminology and social policy.

While the success of national and international law enforcement cooperation to suppress organized crime means that stable, large-scale criminal organizations like the Cosa Nostra or the Japanese Yakuza have seen their power reduced, organized crime remains a concern for many governments. Economic globalization and the easing of restrictions on exchanges across borders now provide ample opportunity for money-making activities in illegal markets. Policies designed to stop illegal market flows often shift these activities to new places or create new problems, as the U.S.- led war on drugs spread production and trafficking to a number South and Central American countries. The Oxford Handbook of Organized Crime provides informed, authoritative, and comprehensive overviews of these issues and other principal forms of organized crime, as well as the type and effectiveness of efforts to prevent and control them. Leading scholars from criminology, law, sociology, history, and political science discuss the key concepts, history, and methods of organized crime; the major actors and interactions involved in it; the markets and activities frequently associated with organized crime; and the policies designed to combat it. Individual chapters on criminal organizations and specific activities or markets comprise the heart of the volume. The chapters on actors provide the history, analyze the structure and activities, and assess the strength and future prospects of each organization. Articles on particular markets address the patterns of activity, identify the most affected regions, and where possible provide estimated revenues, discuss factors promoting the activity, and disclose information on the victims and harms caused. The Oxford Handbook of Organized Crime delivers a systematic, high-quality, and truly global approach to the topic and with it a more complete understanding of organized crime in its many forms for researchers, government officials, and policymakers.