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Bad Bet on the Bayou: The Rise of Gambling in Louisiana and the Fall of Governor Edwin Edwards
Bad Bet on the Bayou The Rise of Gambling in Louisiana and the Fall of Governor Edwin Edwards Author:Tyler Bridges There are said to be several truths in Louisiana politics. One is that an honest politician is one who stays bought. Another is that politics is theater, and there is always demand for an encore. Gambling in Louisiana is older than the state itself, and throughout Louisiana's colorful history, the gambling industry has nearly always been... more » intertwined with political and economic issues. From the scandal of the Louisiana Lottery in the 1890s to the illegal casinos of the first half of the twentieth century, gambling, speculation, and wagering have proved to be an insidious part of life in the Bayou State. To compensate for sagging oil and gas revenues, Louisiana plunged headlong into legalized gambling in the 1990s, authorizing more games of chance than any other state. Overseeing the new era was Governor Edwin Edwards, who for years had flaunted his fondness for cold cash and high-stakes gambling, and who had used his razor-sharp mind and catlike reflexes to stay one step ahead of the law. Gambling, Edwin Edwards, and Louisiana's political culture would soon prove to be a combustible mix as politicians and businessmen in New Orleans prepared to re-create the heady days of riverboat gambling and to open what was supposed to be the world's largest casino. The proposals quickly attracted high-profile entrepreneurs like Steve Wynn, creator of the Mirage, the most profitable casino in Las Vegas; Christopher Hemmeter, whose spectacularly lavish resorts in Hawaii had earned him a place on the Forbes 400 list; and Eddie DeBartolo, former owner of the San Francisco 49ers -- as well as those who aspired to the big time, such as Stephen Edwards, Governor Edwards's own son. But as the FBI began to move in, events manipulated by Edwards began to slip out of his control, leaving a trail of payoffs, fraud, and political subterfuge that federal prosecutors would ultimately use as they made one final attempt to ensnare him. A sweeping saga of fast money, dirty politics, and almost systemic corruption in our most exotic state, Bad Bet on the Bayou is the compelling story of Edwin Edwards and the lure of lucre that led to his downfall.« less