ECON 360
The U.S. Gambling Industry
Syllabus
ECON 360, Fall 2026
Lecture info
Bellsouth 403
W · 4:00 - 6:45 pm
W · 4:00 - 6:45 pm
Contact
(307) 418-7650 text | call
dougwalker2@gmail.com
Course description
An in-depth examination of the economics of the U.S. gambling industry. Topics include casino operations, sports betting, lottery markets, regulatory frameworks, and the social and economic impacts of gambling.
Outline & schedule
| Week | Date | Topic | Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 Aug | Course introduction, syllabus, and review of indifference curves | AGA State of the States, 2026 Walker, pp. 263-273 |
| 2 | 26 Aug | History of gambling in the USA | H&C, pp. 2-8 Grinols, pp. 13-18 and 44-45 Walker, pp. 1-5 |
| 3 | 2 Sep | Probability rules and expected value (EV) The lottery | H&C, pp. 9-18 Book review of Cohen, "For a dollar and a dream" Leroy Fick, RIP John Oliver on the lottery |
| 4 | 9 Sep | No lecture (Walker at a conference) | |
| 5 | 16 Sep | ||
| 6 | 23 Sep | ||
| 7 | 30 Sep | ||
| 8 | 7 Oct | ||
| 9 | 14 Oct | ||
| 10 | 21 Oct | ||
| 11 | 28 Oct | ||
| 12 | 4 Nov | ||
| 13 | 11 Nov | ||
| 14 | 18 Nov | ||
| 15 | 25 Nov | No lecture - Thanksgiving | |
| 16 | Fri., 4 Dec | Final Exam | 6:00 - 8:00 pm |