The battle over gambling is not unique to Illinois. In the last two years, at least 37 state legislatures sought to do the same: During the past three decades, legalized gambling has become a $92 billion industry nationwide. Journalist Sam Skolnik said this revenue also has its costs. He chronicled the downside of gambling expansion in his new book High Stakes: The Rising Cost of America’s Gambling Addiction. Skolnik told WBEZ’s Steve Edwards that Las Vegas offers a window into the problems that legalized gambling can bring.
