Introduction to Part II

Abstract

In this part of the book, I add to existing debates about the law, politics, and political economy of gambling by offering a new account of gambling liberalization. I do so by analysing references to bingo in Hansard, the official records of the Westminster Parliament. As Lord McNally suggests, it may seem something of a downer to start out by giving boring politicians centre stage in this way. Hansard tells us almost nothing about the everyday experiences of those who encounter bingo regulation ‘on the ground’. That is a task for subsequent chapters, using different methods. I begin with Hansard because it tells us something else. It helps reveal how elites have understood the game over time, in its own terms and as relating to the broader governance and regulation of risk and welfare....