Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Gambling
Kinds of Gambling Terms modified by Gambling Selected AbstractsCONTROLLING GAMBLING: A POPULATION-BASED PERSPECTIVE TO MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING AS RESOURCE FOR EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONSADDICTION, Issue 7 2009NORMAN GIESBRECHT No abstract is available for this article. [source] PROBLEM GAMBLING: WE SHOULD MEASURE HARM RATHER THAN ,CASES'ADDICTION, Issue 7 2009ALEX BLASZCZYNSKI No abstract is available for this article. [source] SOCIAL MARKETING AND PROBLEM GAMBLING: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVEADDICTION, Issue 5 2009CRAWFORD MOODIE First page of article [source] MINIMIZING HARM FROM GAMBLING: WHAT IS THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY'S ROLE?ADDICTION, Issue 5 2009MARK D. GRIFFITHS No abstract is available for this article. [source] ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER AND GAMBLING: COMMENTS ON PIETRZAK & PETRY (2005)ADDICTION, Issue 5 2006XIANGNING WANG No abstract is available for this article. [source] Pathological gambling: an increasing public health problemACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2001Article first published online: 7 JUL 200 Gambling has always existed, but only recently has it taken on the endlessly variable and accessible forms we know today. Gambling takes place when something valuable , usually money , is staked on the outcome of an event that is entirely unpredictable. It was only two decades ago that pathological gambling was formally recognized as a mental disorder, when it was included in the DSM-III in 1980. For most people, gambling is a relaxing activity with no negative consequences. For others, however, gambling becomes excessive. Pathological gambling is a disorder that manifests itself through the irrepressible urge to wager money. This disorder ultimately dominates the gambler's life, and has a multitude of negative consequences for both the gambler and the people they interact with, i.e. friends, family members, employers. In many ways, gambling might seem a harmless activity. In fact, it is not the act of gambling itself that is harmful, but the vicious cycle that can begin when a gambler wagers money they cannot afford to lose, and then continues to gamble in order to recuperate their losses. The gambler's ,tragic flaw' of logic lies in their failure to understand that gambling is governed solely by random, chance events. Gamblers fail to recognize this and continue to gamble, attempting to control outcomes by concocting strategies to ,beat the game'. Most, if not all, gamblers try in some way to predict the outcome of a game when they are gambling. A detailed analysis of gamblers' selfverbalizations reveals that most of them behave as though the outcome of the game relied on their personal ,skills'. From the gambler's perspective, skill can influence chance , but in reality, the random nature of chance events is the only determinant of the outcome of the game. The gambler, however, either ignores or simply denies this fundamental rule (1). Experts agree that the social costs of pathological gambling are enormous. Changes in gaming legislation have led to a substantial expansion of gambling opportunities in most industrialized countries around the world, mainly in Europe, America and Australia. Figures for the United States' leisure economy in 1996 show gross gambling revenues of $47.6 billion, which was greater than the combined revenue of $40.8 billion from film box offices, recorded music, cruise ships, spectator sports and live entertainment (2). Several factors appear to be motivating this growth: the desire of governments to identify new sources of revenue without invoking new or higher taxes; tourism entrepreneurs developing new destinations for entertainment and leisure; and the rise of new technologies and forms of gambling (3). As a consequence, prevalence studies have shown increased gambling rates among adults. It is currently estimated that 1,2% of the adult population gambles excessively (4, 5). Given that the prevalence of gambling is related to the accessibility of gambling activities, and that new forms of gambling are constantly being legalized throughout most western countries, this figure is expected to rise. Consequently, physicians and mental health professionals will need to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of pathological gamblers. This disorder may be under-diagnosed because, clinically, pathological gamblers usually seek help for the problems associated with gambling such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse, rather than for the excessive gambling itself. This issue of Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica includes the first national survey of problem gambling completed in Sweden, conducted by Volberg et al. (6). This paper is based on a large sample (N=9917) with an impressively high response rate (89%). Two instruments were used to assess gambling activities: the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised (SOGS-R) and an instrument derived from the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling. Current (1 year) and lifetime prevalence rates were collected. Results show that 0.6% of the respondents were classified as probable pathological gamblers, and 1.4% as problem gamblers. These data reveal that the prevalence of pathological gamblers in Sweden is significantly less than what has been observed in many western countries. The authors have pooled the rates of problem (1.4%) and probable pathological gamblers (0.6%), to provide a total of 2.0% for the current prevalence. This 2% should be interpreted with caution, however, as we do not have information on the long-term evolution of these subgroups of gamblers; for example, we do not know how many of each subgroup will become pathological gamblers, and how many will decrease their gambling or stop gambling altogether. Until this information is known, it would be preferable to keep in mind that only 0.6% of the Swedish population has been identified as pathological gamblers. In addition, recent studies show that the SOGS-R may be producing inflated estimates of pathological gambling (7). Thus, future research in this area might benefit from the use of an instrument based on DSM criteria for pathological gambling, rather than the SOGS-R only. Finally, the authors suggest in their discussion that the lower rate of pathological gamblers obtained in Sweden compared to many other jurisdictions may be explained by the greater availability of games based on chance rather than games based on skill or a mix of skill and luck. Before accepting this interpretation, researchers will need to demonstrate that the outcomes of all games are determined by other factor than chance and randomness. Many studies have shown that the notion of randomness is the only determinant of gambling (1). Inferring that skill is an important issue in gambling may be misleading. While these are important issues to consider, the Volberg et al. survey nevertheless provides crucial information about gambling in a Scandinavian country. Gambling will be an important issue over the next few years in Sweden, and the publication of the Volberg et al. study is a landmark for the Swedish community (scientists, industry, policy makers, etc.). This paper should stimulate interesting discussions and inspire new, much-needed scientific investigations of pathological gambling. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Guido Bondolfi and Robert Ladouceur Invited Guest Editors References 1.,LadouceurR & WalkerM. The cognitive approach to understanding and treating pathological gambling. In: BellackAS, HersenM, eds. Comprehensive clinical psychology. New York: Pergamon, 1998:588 , 601. 2.,ChristiansenEM. Gambling and the American economy. In: FreyJH, ed. Gambling: socioeconomic impacts and public policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998:556:36 , 52. 3.,KornDA & ShafferHJ. Gambling and the health of the public: adopting a public health perspective. J Gambling Stud2000;15:289 , 365. 4.,VolbergRA. Problem gambling in the United States. J Gambling Stud1996;12:111 , 128. 5.,BondolfiG, OsiekC, FerreroF. Prevalence estimates of pathological gambling in Switzerland. Acta Psychiatr Scand2000;101:473 , 475. 6.,VolbergRA, AbbottMW, RönnbergS, MunckIM. Prev-alence and risks of pathological gambling in Sweden. Acta Psychiatr Scand2001;104:250 , 256. 7.,LadouceurR, BouchardC, RhéaumeNet al. Is the SOGS an accurate measure of pathological gambling among children, adolescents and adults?J Gambling Stud2000;16:1 , 24. [source] Brief motivational interventions for college student problem gamblersADDICTION, Issue 9 2009Nancy M. Petry ABSTRACT Aims College students experience high rates of problem and pathological gambling, yet little research has investigated methods for reducing gambling in this population. This study sought to examine the efficacy of brief intervention strategies. Design Randomized trial. Setting College campuses. Participants A total of 117 college student problem and pathological gamblers. Interventions Students were assigned randomly to: an assessment-only control, 10 minutes of brief advice, one session of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) or one session of MET, plus three sessions of cognitive,behavioral therapy (CBT). The three interventions were designed to reduce gambling. Measurements Gambling was assessed at baseline, week 6 and month 9 using the Addiction Severity Index,gambling (ASI-G) module, which also assesses days and dollars wagered. Findings Compared to the assessment-only condition, those receiving any intervention had significant decreases in ASI-G scores and days and dollars wagered over time. The MET condition decreased significantly ASI-G scores and dollars wagered over time, and increased the odds of a clinically significant reduction in gambling at the 9-month follow-up relative to the assessment-only condition, even after controlling for baseline indices that could impact outcomes. The Brief Advice and MET+CBT conditions had benefits on some, but not all, indices of gambling. None of the interventions differed significantly from one another. Conclusions These results suggest the efficacy of brief interventions for reducing gambling problems in college students. [source] Problem gamblers share deficits in impulsive decision-making with alcohol-dependent individualsADDICTION, Issue 6 2009Andrew J. Lawrence ABSTRACT Aims Problem gambling has been proposed to represent a ,behavioural addiction' that may provide key insights into vulnerability mechanisms underlying addiction in brains that are not affected by the damaging effects of drugs. Our aim was to investigate the neurocognitive profile of problem gambling in comparison with alcohol dependence. We reasoned that shared deficits across the two conditions may reflect underlying vulnerability mechanisms, whereas impairments specific to alcohol dependence may reflect cumulative effects of alcohol consumption. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Out-patient addiction treatment centres and university behavioural testing facilities. Participants A naturalistic sample of 21 male problem and pathological gamblers, 21 male alcohol-dependent out-patients and 21 healthy male control participants. Measurements Neurocognitive battery assessing decision-making, impulsivity and working memory. Findings The problem gamblers and alcohol-dependent groups displayed impairments in risky decision-making and cognitive impulsivity relative to controls. Working memory deficits and slowed deliberation times were specific to the alcohol-dependent group. Conclusions Gambling and alcohol-dependent groups shared deficits in tasks linked to ventral prefrontal cortical dysfunction. Tasks loading on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were selectively impaired in the alcohol-dependent group, presumably as a consequence of long-term alcohol use. [source] Financial Debt and Suicide in Hong Kong SAR,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 12 2007Paul S. F. Yip The presence of indebtedness is known to be a risk factor that can trigger stressed persons to contemplate suicide. This study compares the profiles of suicides with and without debt problems based on 2002 Coroner's Court death files. The category of men aged 25,39 has seen a 70% increase in suicide rate since 1997, and the number using carbon monoxide poisoning has increased from 1% of the total deaths in 1997 to about 26% of the total deaths in 2002. Suicides associated with debt problems seem to involve fewer mental and physical problems with formal job attachment than do suicides without debt problems. Gambling is a significant contributing factor to unmanageable indebtedness. [source] Modeling Potential Psychological Risk Factors of Pathological GamblingJOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 10 2000Scot Burtonton This paper proposes a model of potential psychological risk factors antecedent to pathological gambling. Proposed relationships are tested using a structural equations methodology for 2 samples: (a) gamblers composed of members of Gamblers Anonymous and individuals clinically diagnosed and in treatment for pathological gambling. and (b) a demographically matched sample drawn from the general population of a 3-state area from which the gamblers were recruited. Results show both intriguing similarities and differences in relationships among the risk factors. Specifically. for these 2 samples, relationships among the constructs of neurotic/obsessive thoughts, self-esteem, impulsiveness, and anxiety/nervousness are generally similar, but relationships between model constructs and a measure of probable pathological gambling varies across the samples. [source] Games, Gambling, and Children: Applying the Precautionary Principle for Child HealthJOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, Issue 4 2008Adnan A. Hyder MD TOPIC:,We were compelled by the trends of Internet gambling, state-initiated gambling outlets, and of having gambling social events in middle schools and high schools in the United States to examine gambling and its health effects on children and adolescents. PURPOSE AND SOURCES:,We researched trends in adolescent gambling as well as its association with negative health and sociological outcomes through the literature for child and adolescent gambling studies. CONCLUSION:,The literature shows gambling to be associated with many negative health and socioeconomic effects. The increasing participation of children and adolescents is of particular concern, for the earlier a person starts gambling, the more likely that person is to develop serious gambling problems. We propose the application of the precautionary principle in this situation. Until it is proven that adolescents will not be negatively affected by exposure to gambling, the exposure of adolescents to gambling must be carefully restricted. [source] Indigenous Peoples, State-Sanctioned Knowledge, and the Politics of RecognitionAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 4 2005DARREN J. RANCO Invisible Indigenes: The Politics of Nonrecognition. Bruce G. Miller. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2003. 248 pp. Forgotten Tribes: Unrecognized Indians and the Federal Acknowledgement Process. Mark Edwin Miller. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2004. 355 pp. Gambling and Survival in Native North America. Paul Pasquaretta. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2003. 202 pp. [source] Gambling on an alternative revenue source: The impact of riverboat gambling on the charitable gambling component of nonprofit financesNONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 1 2006Drew A. Dolan This article examines the impact of casino gambling in and around Illinois on charitable gambling in that state. The research targets the impact of casino gambling on one of the vital revenue sources of many nonprofit organizations. Charitable gambling represents the most widespread form of legalized gambling in the United States. Net income from charitable gambling totaled an estimated $1.3 billion in 1997. Despite its apparent importance in providing an alternative revenue stream to nonprofit organizations, in a growing number of states charitable gambling operations must compete with an increasing number of private for-profit gambling enterprises, including riverboat and land-based casinos, Indian gambling operations, and pari-mutuel wagering venues. As a result, there is interest in the extent to which forprofit gambling is crowding out charitable gambling,and in the process reducing funds (such as receipts from gambling operations) available to nonprofit organizations. The data analysis presented in this article suggests that spending on casino gambling in Illinois and in bordering areas of Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri may be displacing consumer expenditures on charitable gambling. [source] Pathological Gambling in Methadone Maintenance Clinics Where Gambling Is Legal Versus IllegalAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Einat Peles Lifetime potential and probable pathological gambling (PG) were assessed using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) questionnaire. The prevalence between patients in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in Tel Aviv (Israel, gambling is illegal) and MMT patients in Las Vegas (NV, USA, gambling is legal) was compared. Urine toxicology and substance use was assessed as well. PG at MMT admission was higher in Tel Aviv (48/178, 27%) than in Las Vegas (19/113, 16.8%; p = .05). In Tel Aviv gambling mostly preceded opiate abuse (58.3%), while it followed opiate abuse in Las Vegas (66.7%, p < .001). Only 20.8% in Tel Aviv and 21.1% in Las Vegas were currently gambling. Multivariate analyses found older age on admission to MMT odds ratio (OR) = 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01,1.08), being male OR = 2.6 (95% CI 1.3,5.3) and being from the Tel Aviv MMT clinic OR = 2.5 (95% CI 1.3,4.9) to characterize PG. Detection of any drug in MMT admission urine specimens was unrelated to PG. Older age on admission to MMT, and male gender characterized PG in different MMT clinics, independent of the legal status of gambling. Low current PG rates for patients in both MMT clinics suggest that legality may not be relevant. [source] Schizophrenia and Pathological GamblingTHE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 4 2007Laurence Borras MD High rates of pathological gambling are found in psychiatric populations, including those with mood or substance use disorders. The extent to which individuals with schizophrenia exhibit the symptoms of pathological gambling has not been adequately investigated. This paper examines the case of a 40-year-old schizophrenic female with a four-year history of gambling. The characteristics of possible interactions between pathological gambling and schizophrenic symptom profiles are outlined in order to propose better treatments for this group of patients. [source] Gambling among youth: Information for concerned parentsTHE BROWN UNIVERSITY CHILD AND ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR LETTER, Issue S6 2010Article first published online: 4 MAY 2010 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Gambling and survival in native North America , By Paul PasquarettaTHE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 3 2007Rebecca Cassidy No abstract is available for this article. [source] Arizona Scorcher (Gambling and Survival in Native North America, Paul Pasquaretta)ANTHROPOLOGY & HUMANISM, Issue 2 2004Michael Leroyoberg No abstract is available for this article. [source] Gambling and older people in AustraliaAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 3 2003John McCormack Objectives: There is a dearth of studies on the gambling behaviour of older people in Australia. This study aims to address that gap in local knowledge by investigating the gambling activity of older people in the general community, as well as the situation of older gamblers who attend counselling services for people with problem gambling behaviour. Method: The study draws on a recent national gambling survey to review older peoples' gambling in the general community, and then uses data from Victorian Gamblers' Help counselling services to review the gambling problems and treatment needs of older problem gamblers. Results: Older people gamble at a slightly lower rate than younger groups in the general community. Older problem gamblers similarly appear to have less serious problems than younger groups although there is a small group with quite severe problems as a result of gambling. There are more older female problem gamblers in counselling than males, but older men present more serious problems. Treatment responses appear to be effective for this age group. Conclusion: As older age is currently characterised by a low fixed income and thus greater vulnerability to the adverse consequences of gambling, research should continue to monitor the gambling impact on older people as our population ages. [source] Issues Related to Sports GamblingAUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF STATISTICS, Issue 2 2004Robin Insley Summary This paper looks at various issues that are of interest to the sports gambler. First, an expression is obtained for the distribution of the final bankroll using fixed wagers with a specified initial bankroll. Second, fixed percentage wagers are considered where the Kelly method is extended to the case of simultaneous bets placed at various odds; a computational algorithm is presented to obtain the Kelly fractions. Finally, the paper considers the problem of determining whether a gambling system is profitable based on the historical results of bets placed at various odds. [source] Dopamine release in ventral striatum of pathological gamblers losing moneyACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2010J. Linnet Linnet J, Peterson E, Doudet DJ, Gjedde A, Møller A. Dopamine release in ventral striatum of pathological gamblers losing money. Objective:, To investigate dopaminergic neurotransmission in relation to monetary reward and punishment in pathological gambling. Pathological gamblers (PG) often continue gambling despite losses, known as ,chasing one's losses'. We therefore hypothesized that losing money would be associated with increased dopamine release in the ventral striatum of PG compared with healthy controls (HC). Method:, We used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with [11C]raclopride to measure dopamine release in the ventral striatum of 16 PG and 15 HC playing the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Results:, PG who lost money had significantly increased dopamine release in the left ventral striatum compared with HC. PG and HC who won money did not differ in dopamine release. Conclusion:, Our findings suggest a dopaminergic basis of monetary losses in pathological gambling, which might explain loss-chasing behavior. The findings may have implications for the understanding of dopamine dysfunctions and impaired decision-making in pathological gambling and substance-related addictions. [source] Pathological gambling: an increasing public health problemACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2001Article first published online: 7 JUL 200 Gambling has always existed, but only recently has it taken on the endlessly variable and accessible forms we know today. Gambling takes place when something valuable , usually money , is staked on the outcome of an event that is entirely unpredictable. It was only two decades ago that pathological gambling was formally recognized as a mental disorder, when it was included in the DSM-III in 1980. For most people, gambling is a relaxing activity with no negative consequences. For others, however, gambling becomes excessive. Pathological gambling is a disorder that manifests itself through the irrepressible urge to wager money. This disorder ultimately dominates the gambler's life, and has a multitude of negative consequences for both the gambler and the people they interact with, i.e. friends, family members, employers. In many ways, gambling might seem a harmless activity. In fact, it is not the act of gambling itself that is harmful, but the vicious cycle that can begin when a gambler wagers money they cannot afford to lose, and then continues to gamble in order to recuperate their losses. The gambler's ,tragic flaw' of logic lies in their failure to understand that gambling is governed solely by random, chance events. Gamblers fail to recognize this and continue to gamble, attempting to control outcomes by concocting strategies to ,beat the game'. Most, if not all, gamblers try in some way to predict the outcome of a game when they are gambling. A detailed analysis of gamblers' selfverbalizations reveals that most of them behave as though the outcome of the game relied on their personal ,skills'. From the gambler's perspective, skill can influence chance , but in reality, the random nature of chance events is the only determinant of the outcome of the game. The gambler, however, either ignores or simply denies this fundamental rule (1). Experts agree that the social costs of pathological gambling are enormous. Changes in gaming legislation have led to a substantial expansion of gambling opportunities in most industrialized countries around the world, mainly in Europe, America and Australia. Figures for the United States' leisure economy in 1996 show gross gambling revenues of $47.6 billion, which was greater than the combined revenue of $40.8 billion from film box offices, recorded music, cruise ships, spectator sports and live entertainment (2). Several factors appear to be motivating this growth: the desire of governments to identify new sources of revenue without invoking new or higher taxes; tourism entrepreneurs developing new destinations for entertainment and leisure; and the rise of new technologies and forms of gambling (3). As a consequence, prevalence studies have shown increased gambling rates among adults. It is currently estimated that 1,2% of the adult population gambles excessively (4, 5). Given that the prevalence of gambling is related to the accessibility of gambling activities, and that new forms of gambling are constantly being legalized throughout most western countries, this figure is expected to rise. Consequently, physicians and mental health professionals will need to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of pathological gamblers. This disorder may be under-diagnosed because, clinically, pathological gamblers usually seek help for the problems associated with gambling such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse, rather than for the excessive gambling itself. This issue of Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica includes the first national survey of problem gambling completed in Sweden, conducted by Volberg et al. (6). This paper is based on a large sample (N=9917) with an impressively high response rate (89%). Two instruments were used to assess gambling activities: the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised (SOGS-R) and an instrument derived from the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling. Current (1 year) and lifetime prevalence rates were collected. Results show that 0.6% of the respondents were classified as probable pathological gamblers, and 1.4% as problem gamblers. These data reveal that the prevalence of pathological gamblers in Sweden is significantly less than what has been observed in many western countries. The authors have pooled the rates of problem (1.4%) and probable pathological gamblers (0.6%), to provide a total of 2.0% for the current prevalence. This 2% should be interpreted with caution, however, as we do not have information on the long-term evolution of these subgroups of gamblers; for example, we do not know how many of each subgroup will become pathological gamblers, and how many will decrease their gambling or stop gambling altogether. Until this information is known, it would be preferable to keep in mind that only 0.6% of the Swedish population has been identified as pathological gamblers. In addition, recent studies show that the SOGS-R may be producing inflated estimates of pathological gambling (7). Thus, future research in this area might benefit from the use of an instrument based on DSM criteria for pathological gambling, rather than the SOGS-R only. Finally, the authors suggest in their discussion that the lower rate of pathological gamblers obtained in Sweden compared to many other jurisdictions may be explained by the greater availability of games based on chance rather than games based on skill or a mix of skill and luck. Before accepting this interpretation, researchers will need to demonstrate that the outcomes of all games are determined by other factor than chance and randomness. Many studies have shown that the notion of randomness is the only determinant of gambling (1). Inferring that skill is an important issue in gambling may be misleading. While these are important issues to consider, the Volberg et al. survey nevertheless provides crucial information about gambling in a Scandinavian country. Gambling will be an important issue over the next few years in Sweden, and the publication of the Volberg et al. study is a landmark for the Swedish community (scientists, industry, policy makers, etc.). This paper should stimulate interesting discussions and inspire new, much-needed scientific investigations of pathological gambling. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Guido Bondolfi and Robert Ladouceur Invited Guest Editors References 1.,LadouceurR & WalkerM. The cognitive approach to understanding and treating pathological gambling. In: BellackAS, HersenM, eds. Comprehensive clinical psychology. New York: Pergamon, 1998:588 , 601. 2.,ChristiansenEM. Gambling and the American economy. In: FreyJH, ed. Gambling: socioeconomic impacts and public policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998:556:36 , 52. 3.,KornDA & ShafferHJ. Gambling and the health of the public: adopting a public health perspective. J Gambling Stud2000;15:289 , 365. 4.,VolbergRA. Problem gambling in the United States. J Gambling Stud1996;12:111 , 128. 5.,BondolfiG, OsiekC, FerreroF. Prevalence estimates of pathological gambling in Switzerland. Acta Psychiatr Scand2000;101:473 , 475. 6.,VolbergRA, AbbottMW, RönnbergS, MunckIM. Prev-alence and risks of pathological gambling in Sweden. Acta Psychiatr Scand2001;104:250 , 256. 7.,LadouceurR, BouchardC, RhéaumeNet al. Is the SOGS an accurate measure of pathological gambling among children, adolescents and adults?J Gambling Stud2000;16:1 , 24. [source] Losses disguised as wins in modern multi-line video slot machinesADDICTION, Issue 10 2010Mike J. Dixon ABSTRACT Aims Players can wager on multiple lines of modern slot machines. When they spin and fail to gain any credits, the machine goes into a state of relative quiet. By contrast, when they spin and win, these spins are accompanied by reinforcing sights and sounds. Such reinforcement also occurs when the amount won is less than the spin wager. We sought to show that these ,losses disguised as wins', or LDWs, would be as arousing as wins, and more arousing than regular losses. Measurement and participants We measured skin conductance response (SCR) amplitudes and heart-rate changes following wins, LDWs and losses for 40 novices playing a multi-line slot machine. Findings SCR amplitudes were similar for wins and LDWs,both were significantly larger than for regular losses. Conclusions For novice players, the reinforcing sights and sounds of the slot machine triggered arousal on wins, where the number of credits gained was greater than the spin wager, but also on ,losses disguised as wins' where the amount ,won' was less than the spin wager. Despite the fact that players lost money on these spins, these outcomes were more arousing than regular losses where no credits were gained. Although these findings involve novice players, the heightened arousal associated with these losses may have implications for the development of problem gambling, as arousal has been viewed as a key reinforcer in gambling behaviour. [source] Vested Interests in Addiction Research and Policy Poisonous partnerships: health sector buy-in to arrangements with government and addictive consumption industriesADDICTION, Issue 4 2010Peter J. Adams ABSTRACT Aim This paper critically appraises relationship arrangements among three broadly conceived sectors: the government sector, the health sector (including researchers) and addictive consumption industries (particularly tobacco, alcohol and gambling). Method Three models for involvement are examined. In the ,tripartite partnership model' health sector agencies engage as co-equals with the government and industry sectors in order to implement public health initiatives such as host responsibility and public education. In the ,non- association model' the health sector engages with government agencies but not with the industry sector. In the ,managed association model' the health sector engages for specific purposes with the industry sector but contact is monitored and managed by government agencies. Findings Government and industry sectors commonly favour tripartite partnership arrangements. Health sector agencies that opt to engage in these partnership arrangements can encounter conflicts of interest and find their voice subsumed by dominant influences. Furthermore, their partnership compliance generates divisions within the health sector, with partnership dissenters often silenced and excluded from policy processes and funding. The non-association model is the least hazardous to the health sector because it protects against compromise and dominance. The managed association model is an option only when the government sector as a whole is committed strongly and clearly to the public health objectives. Conclusion In contexts where key parts of the government sector are conflicted over their public health responsibilities, health sector engagement in partnership arrangements entails too many risks. [source] Gender differences in genetic and environmental influences on gambling: results from a sample of twins from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent HealthADDICTION, Issue 3 2010Kevin M. Beaver ABSTRACT Aims To examine the extent to which genetic factors and shared and non-shared environmental factors are implicated in the development of gambling behaviors and to examine whether there are gender differences in the genetic and environmental contributors to gambling behaviors. Design A genetically informative analysis was performed by using DeFries,Fulker (DF) analysis. Setting Analysis of secondary data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Participants A total of 324 monozygotic (MZ) twins and 278 same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twins were included in the analysis. Of these twins, there were 150 male MZ twins, 144 male DZ twins, 174 female MZ twins and 134 female DZ twins. Measurements Gambling behavior was measured through eight self-reported questions that tapped a range of items designed to measure problems related to gambling. Self-reported measures of self-control and delinquent involvement were also included to examine the degree to which these factors covaried with gambling behavior. Findings The results of the DF analysis indicated that when male and female twin pairs were analyzed simultaneously, genetic factors explained approximately 70% of the variance in gambling and non-shared environmental factors explained the remaining variance. When gender-specific models were calculated, substantial gender differences emerged. For males, genetic factors explained approximately 85% of the variance in gambling, with the non-shared environment accounting for the remaining variance. For females, genetic factors explained none of the variance in gambling behaviors, while the shared environment explained 45% of the variance and the non-shared environment explained 55% of the variance. Conclusions Analysis of twins from the Add Health data suggests that there are significant gender differences in the genetic and environmental underpinnings to gambling behaviors. [source] Genetic aspects of pathological gambling: a complex disorder with shared genetic vulnerabilitiesADDICTION, Issue 9 2009Daniela S. S. Lobo ABSTRACT Aims To summarize and discuss findings from genetic studies conducted on pathological gambling (PG). Methods Searches were conducted on PubMed and PsychInfo databases using the keywords: ,gambling and genes', ,gambling and family' and ,gambling and genetics', yielding 18 original research articles investigating the genetics of PG. Results Twin studies using the Vietnam Era Twin Registry have found that: (i) the heritability of PG is estimated to be 50,60%; (ii) PG and subclinical PG are a continuum of the same disorder; (iii) PG shares genetic vulnerability factors with antisocial behaviours, alcohol dependence and major depressive disorder; (iv) genetic factors underlie the association between exposure to traumatic life-events and PG. Molecular genetic investigations on PG are at an early stage and published studies have reported associations with genes involved in the brain's reward and impulse control systems. Conclusions Despite the paucity of studies in this area, published studies have provided considerable evidence of the influence of genetic factors on PG and its complex interaction with other psychiatric disorders and environmental factors. The next step would be to investigate the association and interaction of these variables in larger molecular genetic studies with subphenotypes that underlie PG. Results from family and genetic investigations corroborate further the importance of understanding the biological underpinnings of PG in the development of more specific treatment and prevention strategies. [source] Brief motivational interventions for college student problem gamblersADDICTION, Issue 9 2009Nancy M. Petry ABSTRACT Aims College students experience high rates of problem and pathological gambling, yet little research has investigated methods for reducing gambling in this population. This study sought to examine the efficacy of brief intervention strategies. Design Randomized trial. Setting College campuses. Participants A total of 117 college student problem and pathological gamblers. Interventions Students were assigned randomly to: an assessment-only control, 10 minutes of brief advice, one session of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) or one session of MET, plus three sessions of cognitive,behavioral therapy (CBT). The three interventions were designed to reduce gambling. Measurements Gambling was assessed at baseline, week 6 and month 9 using the Addiction Severity Index,gambling (ASI-G) module, which also assesses days and dollars wagered. Findings Compared to the assessment-only condition, those receiving any intervention had significant decreases in ASI-G scores and days and dollars wagered over time. The MET condition decreased significantly ASI-G scores and dollars wagered over time, and increased the odds of a clinically significant reduction in gambling at the 9-month follow-up relative to the assessment-only condition, even after controlling for baseline indices that could impact outcomes. The Brief Advice and MET+CBT conditions had benefits on some, but not all, indices of gambling. None of the interventions differed significantly from one another. Conclusions These results suggest the efficacy of brief interventions for reducing gambling problems in college students. [source] Longitudinal patterns of gambling activities and associated risk factors in college studentsADDICTION, Issue 7 2009Anna E. Goudriaan ABSTRACT Aims To investigate which clusters of gambling activities exist within a longitudinal study of college health, how membership in gambling clusters change over time and whether particular clusters of gambling are associated with unhealthy risk behaviour. Design Four-year longitudinal study (2002,2006). Setting Large, public university. Participants Undergraduate college students. Measurements Ten common gambling activities were measured during 4 consecutive college years (years 1,4). Clusters of gambling activities were examined using latent class analyses. Relations between gambling clusters and gender, Greek membership, alcohol use, drug use, personality indicators of behavioural undercontrol and psychological distress were examined. Findings Four latent gambling classes were identified: (1) a low-gambling class, (2) a card gambling class, (3) a casino/slots gambling class and (4) an extensive gambling class. Over the first college years a high probability of transitioning from the low-gambling class and the card gambling class into the casino/slots gambling class was present. Membership in the card, casino/slots and extensive gambling classes were associated with higher scores on alcohol/drug use, novelty seeking and self-identified gambling problems compared to the low-gambling class. The extensive gambling class scored higher than the other gambling classes on risk factors. Conclusions Extensive gamblers and card gamblers are at higher risk for problem gambling and other risky health behaviours. Prospective examinations of class membership suggested that being in the extensive and the low gambling classes was highly stable across the 4 years of college. [source] Problem gamblers share deficits in impulsive decision-making with alcohol-dependent individualsADDICTION, Issue 6 2009Andrew J. Lawrence ABSTRACT Aims Problem gambling has been proposed to represent a ,behavioural addiction' that may provide key insights into vulnerability mechanisms underlying addiction in brains that are not affected by the damaging effects of drugs. Our aim was to investigate the neurocognitive profile of problem gambling in comparison with alcohol dependence. We reasoned that shared deficits across the two conditions may reflect underlying vulnerability mechanisms, whereas impairments specific to alcohol dependence may reflect cumulative effects of alcohol consumption. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Out-patient addiction treatment centres and university behavioural testing facilities. Participants A naturalistic sample of 21 male problem and pathological gamblers, 21 male alcohol-dependent out-patients and 21 healthy male control participants. Measurements Neurocognitive battery assessing decision-making, impulsivity and working memory. Findings The problem gamblers and alcohol-dependent groups displayed impairments in risky decision-making and cognitive impulsivity relative to controls. Working memory deficits and slowed deliberation times were specific to the alcohol-dependent group. Conclusions Gambling and alcohol-dependent groups shared deficits in tasks linked to ventral prefrontal cortical dysfunction. Tasks loading on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were selectively impaired in the alcohol-dependent group, presumably as a consequence of long-term alcohol use. [source] A question of balance: prioritizing public health responses to harm from gamblingADDICTION, Issue 5 2009Peter J. Adams ABSTRACT Aim To provide an overview on the nature and importance of public health approaches to the global expansion of commercial gambling. Method Three key areas of public health activity are examined: harm minimization, health promotion and the political determinants for change. Findings The rapid proliferation of gambling experienced in many countries is driven by the commercial development of new products orientated around continuous and rapid mass consumption. This is particularly the case with ongoing refinements to electronic gambling machines and the development of new gambling technologies using the internet and mobile telephones. So far responses to negative impacts have, on the whole, focused upon individualized treatment interventions. A public health approach to gambling offers a broad range of strategies to tackle the wider implications of gambling expansion: harm reduction provides evidence-based strategies for managing identifiable harm; health promotion focuses upon communities building their capacity, knowledge and resilience with regard to the attractions of gambling, and action on the political determinants sets out to increase the accountability and reduce the conflicts of interest that influence government resolve in managing their gambling environments. Conclusion In this new environment of mass consumption, efforts in developing treatment responses to problem gambling need to be balanced with, at least, equal efforts in developing public health responses. With the expansion of commercial gambling occurring globally, international agencies could play a critical role in supporting public health initiatives. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||