IN ITS 3 YEARS OF OPERATION, STAFF MEMBERS AND CONSULTANTS PREPARED MORE THAN 30 RESEARCH PAPERS AND SURVEYS ON EVERY ASPECT OF THIS PHENOMENON. IN ADDITION, THE COMMISSION HELD 43 DAYS OF HEARINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, TAKING TESTIMONY FROM MORE THAN 275 FEDERAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND POLICYMAKERS, PERSONS INVOLVED IN EVERY PHASE OF LEGAL -- AND ILLEGAL GAMBLING, AND ORDINARY CITIZENS. SOME OF THE COMMISSION'S MAJOR CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THAT STATES SHOULD HAVE THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR DETERMINING WHAT FORMS OF GAMBLING MAY LEGALLY TAKE PLACE WITHIN THEIR BORDERS, AND THAT A CONTINUED FEDERAL EFFORT AGAINST CERTAIN GAMBLING OPERATIONS IS BOTH NECESSARY AND DESIRABLE, ALTHOUGH SOME FEDERAL STATUTES SHOULD BE AMENDED AND THE GOVERNMENT'S ENFORCEMENT POLICIES IN SOME AREAS RE-EVALUATED. THE COMMISSION ALSO DETERMINED THAT, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, MOST LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS CANNOT DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH LARGE GAMBLING OPERATIONS, AND THAT, TOO OFTEN, ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS ARE DIRECTED AGAINST LOW-LEVEL GAMBLING VIOLATIONS WHILE HIGH-LEVEL OPERATORS REMAIN UNTOUCHED. A SURVEY OF AMERICAN GAMBLING BEHAVIOR REVEALED THAT 61 PERCENT OF THE ADULT POPULATION PARTICIPATED IN SOME FORM OF GAMBLING IN 1974, WITH 48 PERCENT PATRONIZING SOME TYPE OF LEGAL OR ILLEGAL COMMERCIAL GAMBLING. ALMOST 80 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS NATIONWIDE FAVORED LEGALIZATION OF SOME FORM OF GAMBLING. AN ANALYSIS OF THE FIVE MAJOR TYPES OF LEGAL GAMBLING FOUND THAT THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZED CRIME IN NEVADA CASINOS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED, THAT THE ACTIVE PUBLICITY GIVEN TO LOTTERIES AND OFF-TRACK BETTING INDUCES CITIZEN PARTICIPATION CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC'S BEST INTEREST, AND THAT COMMERCIAL BINGO OPERATORS RUNNING GAMES FOR THE BENEFIT OF CHARITABLE GROUPS OFTEN RETAIN MOST OF THE PROFITS FOR THEMSELVES. STUDIES OF THE ILLEGAL GAMBLING SITUATION CONCLUDED THAT THERE IS NO UNIFORMITY OF ORGANIZED CRIME CONTROL OF GAMBLING (NUMBERS, HORSE BOOKMAKING, AND SPORTS BETTING) THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND THAT A LEGAL SINGLE-EVENT SPORTS WAGERING SYSTEM WOULD PROVIDE RELATIVELY LITTLE REVENUE FOR THE STATE. THE FOREGOING COMPRISES ONLY A PARTIAL LISTING OF THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS. THE REPORT ALSO PROVIDES DETAILED EXPLANATIONS OF THE REASONING BEHIND THE COMMISSION'S CONCLUSIONS, SUBSTANTIAL HISTORICAL GAMBLING INFORMATION, AND IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MANY GAMES THAT CONSTITUTE THE AMERICAN GAMBLING PHENOMENON. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED. THE APPENDIX TO THIS REPORT (NCJ-41144) CONTAINS 28 STAFF AND CONSULTANT RESEARCH PAPERS, MODEL STATUTES AND REGULATIONS, AND A 118-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY....ELW