Même si la régulation est associée à l’apparition de nouvelles formes de normativité, les actes administratifs unilatéraux occupent une place importante parmi ses différents outils. Envisagée comme une police spéciale visant la protection de l’ordre public économique, la régulation trouve dans les actes administratifs unilatéraux ses moyens d’exercice naturels. Il y a quatre types d’actes administratifs unilatéraux de régulation : les autorisations d’accès au marché, les actes réglementaires qui fixent les conditions d’exercice de la concurrence en son sein, les actes de règlement des différends et les décisions adoptées en matière de sanction. Au sein du système de régulation par voie d’actes administratifs unilatéraux se rencontrent plusieurs objectifs qui participent à la confection d’un régime inédit. L’étude du régime des actes administratifs unilatéraux de régulation confirme leur spécificité. Celle-ci se manifeste tout au long de leur cycle de vie. Adoptés par des autorités administratives indépendantes, ces actes peuvent être précédés d’une consultation publique, attribués après mise en concurrence des opérateurs ou cédés par leurs titulaires. Les évolutions que connaît leur régime les rapproche du droit souple, au point de rendre parfois difficile la distinction entre les deux instruments pour les opérateurs et le juge, au détriment de la sécurité juridique. Le juge administratif occupe une place centrale au sein du mécanisme de régulation. Confronté à un mécanisme normatif à deux vitesses et aux exigences que pose la régulation, il est amené à faire évoluer ses méthodes de contrôle et à construire progressivement son office de juge de la régulation. / Regardless of the fact that sectoral regulation is usually associated with the emergence of new forms of normativity, unilateral administrative acts have a prominent place among its various instruments. Conceived of as a special mission of the Administration whose main objective is the protection of public economic order, sectoral regulation is indeed normally exercised through unilateral administrative acts. There are four types of unilateral administrative acts that serve as instruments to sectoral regulation: decisions authorising access to the market, regulatory acts that set the conditions for competition in the market, dispute resolution decisions and decisions imposing sanctions. Regulating through unilateral administrative acts serves various objectives leading to a unique regime. Studying the latter confirms the specificity of these acts, a specificity that is evident throughout their life cycle. Adopted by independent administrative authorities, these acts can be submitted to public consultation, attributed to the operators on the basis of a competitive tender or transferred from one beneficiary to another. The evolution of their regime raises the question of their relationship with soft law: the distinction between the two instruments can at times be difficult both for the operators and the judge at the expense of legal security. The Administrative Judge plays a central role in the mecanism of sectoral regulation. Confronted with a two-geared normative mechanism and with the obligations that derive from sectoral regulation, his control methods are destined to evolve and his role as a regulatory judge is progressively refined.

The role risk taking has played in American history has helped shape current legislation concerning gambling. This thesis attempts to explain the discrepancies in legislation regarding distinct forms of gambling. While casinos are heavily regulated by state and federal laws, most statutes dealing with lotteries strive to regulate the activities of other parties instead of those of the lottery institutions. Incidentally, lotteries are the only form of gambling completely managed by the government. It can be inferred that the United States government is more concerned with people exploiting gambling than with the actual practice of wagering. In an effort to more fully understand the gambling debate, whether it should be allowed or banned, I examined different types of sources. Historical sources demonstrate how ingrained in American culture risk taking, the core of gambling, has been since the formation of this nation. Sources dealing with the economic implications of gambling were also studied. Additionally, sources dealings with the political and legal aspects of gambling were essential for this thesis. Legislature has tried to reconcile distinct problems associated with gambling, including corruption. For this reason sports gambling scandals and Mafia connections to gambling have also been examined. The American government has created much needed legislature to address different concerns relating to gambling. It is apparent that statutes will continue to be passed to help regulate the gambling industry. A possible consideration is the legalization of sports wagering to better regulate that sector of the industry.