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A study aims to examine the benefits and costs of casino gambling in the state of Iowa. The results conclude a positive economic impact of casino gambling for the state of Iowa.

The purpose of this study was to broaden the understanding of authenticity through an empirical examination of Scottish goods sold to tourists at retail outlets and festivals. The focus was on vendors selling Scottish merchandise in the United States and Canada. A majority of the vendors describe authenticity as a representation of Scottish traditions, and their definitions do not vary with their socioeconomic characteristics but with the percentage of income obtained from festivals. The study further traces the authenticity flow in the marketing system on a continuum of 1 to 4, with 1 being the originator and 4 being the receiver. The results indicate that authenticity is supply driven and that producers are its determinants who obtain verifications from the trade fair, historians, and ancestral heritage. Vendors act as liaisons between the producers and the consumers, and, contrary to expectations, tourists are the receivers of authenticity. Keywords: suppliers; Scottish merchandise; vendors; producers; tourists; marketing system; authenticity flow

Festivals are often part of the economic development strategy of rural areas. This study estimates the economic impacts of visitor expenditures at two Scottish festivals in rural North Carolina, using tourist survey data and an input-output model. While local restaurants and lodging and festival vendors and sponsors benefit from substantial visitor expenditures, the multipliers are relatively small, and hence the total economic impact of the festivals represents only a small percentage of economic activity in the two regions considered. Lodging expenditures have the greatest impact on the region with a multiple-day festival, while expenditures on food and beverage have the greatest impact on the region with a single-day festival. The magnitude of the economic impact depends on characteristics of both the festival (number of days) and the local economy (other attractions and linkages). Keywords: festivals; Highland Games; tourist expenditures; economic impact; multipliers