The American Gaming Association's will induct University of Nevada, Reno Economics Professor William R. (Bill) Eadington into the Gaming Hall of Fame at the Gaming Hall of Fame Charity Dinner and Induction Ceremony at the Venetian in Las Vegas at 7 p.m., next Tuesday, Nov. 1. Induction into the Gaming Hall of Fame is the highest honor accorded by the gaming industry, with some previous inductees including Phil Satre, Steve Wynn, William Harrah, and Bill Pennington.

Eadington's induction includes a Special Achievement Award for Gaming Education. He is a director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno, in addition to being professor of economics. He is an internationally recognized authority on the legalization and regulation of commercial gaming and has written extensively on issues relating to the economic and social impacts of the industry.

"We owe Dr. Eadington much of the credit for our current understanding of the economic and social impacts of commercial gaming," said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. "His deep knowledge of the industry's economics and his insights on the legalization and regulation of commercial gaming have been invaluable. Indeed, his work has not only served our industry; it also has served the countless communities that have benefited from commercial gaming."

Eadington has served as a consultant and advisor for governments and private sector organizations throughout the world on issues related to gaming laws, casino operations, regulation, legalization and public policy. He is a founding member of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and a former associate editor of the "Annals of Tourism Research and the Journal of Gambling Studies."

Eadington has also served as the organizer of the University's ongoing triennial International Conferences on Gambling and Risk Taking, which began in 1974. He has edited or co-edited a number of books, including "Integrated Resort Casinos:  Implications for Economic Growth and Social Impacts," "Optimal Play: Studies in the Mathematics of Games and Gambling," "The Downside: Problem and Pathological Gambling," "Finding the Edge: Mathematical Analysis of Casino Games," "The Business of Gaming: Economic and Management Issues," and "Gambling: Public Policies and the Social Sciences." He is founder and co-moderator of the annual Executive Development Program for Senior Level Casino Executives.

Eadington has been at the University of Nevada, Reno since 1969. In 1990, he was awarded a Foundation Professorship at the University, and since 2004, he has held the Philip G. Satre Chair of Gaming Studies at the University.