Border Towns, Gambling and The Mormon Culture Region

Abstract

Border towns that provide a specialized service for residents of adjacent political units are a common geographic phenomena. Nevada, for example, has long been the focus of legalized gambling activity in the United States because of restrictive laws in other states. In the last two decades several tiny eastern Nevada border communities have experienced rapid growth in population and gambling services at the same time that there was rapid population growth in the adjacent Mormon culture region. An examination of the Nevada towns of West Wendover (also known as Stateline), Jackpot and Mesquite indicate that they rely primarily on the population of the Mormon culture region for their success. This success of the Nevada border towns in attracting patrons from the Mormon culture region prompted development in 1985 of a racetrack with pari-mutuel betting in the Wyoming border town of Evanston. Nearby gambling towns will continue to flourish with the continued population growth in the Mormon culture region which...