A Final Farewell to Professor Bill Eadington

Bill Eadington, an economist who was one of the first academics to study gambling as both a force for economic development and a challenging social problem, passed away on February 11 this year in Crystal Bay, Nevada, at the age of 67. William Richard Eadington was born on January 1, 1946, in Fullerton, California, and grew up in nearby Brea. He received his bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and economics from Santa Clara University and was just 23 when he completed his course work for a doctorate in economics at Claremont Graduate School. In 2011 Professor Eadington was elected to the American Gaming Association’s Hall of Fame, a small and eclectic group that includes Wayne Newton, Donald J. Trump, and David Copperfield.

Professor Eadington had been an honorary president of the Asia Pacific Association of Gambling Studies (APAGS) since its inception in 2011. He made significant contributions to its initial development. For example, the title of its successful annual international conference (The Asia Pacific Conference on Gambling and Commercial Gaming Research) was coined by him. His contributions to the association will not be forgotten.

President Zhonglu Zeng and Director-General Guihai (Samuel) Huang sent a message of condolence to Ms. Eadington on February 16, 2013 on behalf of APAGS.

Notes: William Eadington, APAGS Honorary President, is a Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an internationally recognized authority on the legalization and regulation of commercial gambling, and has written extensively on issues relating to the economic and social impacts of commercial gaming.

Professor Eadington has served as the organizer of the 1st through 14th International Conferences on Gambling and Risk Taking between 1974 and 2009. He has edited or co-edited a variety of publications, including Optimal Play: Studies in the Mathematics of Games and Gambling (2007), The Downside: Problem and Pathological Gambling (2002), Finding the Edge: Mathematical Analysis of Casino Games (2000), The Business of Gaming: Economic and Management Issues (1999), Gambling: Public Policies and the Social Sciences (1997), Gambling Behavior and Problem Gambling (1993), Gambling and Commercial Gaming: Essays in Business, Economics, Philosophy and Science (1992), Tourism Alternatives (1992), Gambling and Public Policy: International Perspectives (1991), Indian Gaming and the Law (1990), and Gambling and Society (1976). He also has served as founder and co-moderator of the annual Executive Development Programs for Senior Level Casino Executives since 1991.

Dr. Eadington has served as a consultant and advisor for governments and private sector organizations throughout the world on issues related to gaming laws, casino operations, regulation, legalization, and public policy. He is a founding member of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and a former associate editor of the Annals of Tourism Research and the Journal of Gambling Studies.

Eadington has been with the University of Nevada since 1969. He has served as an Academic Visitor to the London School of Economics, as a Visiting Professor at the Center for Addiction Studies, Harvard Medical School, and as a Visiting Lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He also is on the faculty of the Centre for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Salford (U.K.). He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Santa Clara University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Claremont Graduate School. In 2008, he was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa by the University of Macau.