The Politics of Casino Gambling: Detroit Style

To recover from the effects of disinvestment in the auto industry, Detroit is being promoted as a tourist/convention center. Casinos have been suggested as revenue enhancers and as tourist magnets. Despite the poor reviews Atlantic City received from introducing casinos, three casino referenda have been attempted in Detroit. The 1988 anticasino campaign is reviewed in this article. The voters again rejected casinos in that campaign, but the important differences in the nature and character of the appeal reveal that status politics does matter when mobilizing the working class. The rejection of casinos is viewed as a setback with long-term implications.