Field Of Gambling Research Articles

Gambling Severity, Impulsivity, and Psychopathology: Comparison of Treatment‐ and Community‐Recruited Pathological Gamblers

Because most studies of pathological gambling gather data from participants recruited from treatment, this study compared community and treatment-enrolled pathological gamblers (PGs) with respect to demographics, gambling severity, impulsivity, and psychopathology. One hundred six PGs were recruited as part of two larger studies in Farmington, Connecticut (n= 61) and Windsor, Ontario (n= 45) using radio advertising, word of mouth, and/or newspaper ads, as well as a gambling treatment program at each location. Community (n= 49) and treatment-enrolled (n= 57) PGs did not differ on age, education, gender, race, employment, or marital status. Treatment-enrolled PGs were more likely to report past year illegal behaviors, preoccupation with gambling, and higher scores on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) Attention Impulsivity subscale. Assessment of psychopathology in the Ontario study indicated that treatment-enrolled PGs were more likely to present with Major Depressive and Dysthymic Disorders. Community-recruited PGs in the Connecticut study were overall more likely to present with any substance use disorder relative to their treatment-enrolled counterparts. Our findings inform intervention and research within the field of pathological gambling. Specifically, the distressing aspects of pathological gambling, such as legal issues, preoccupation with gambling, and depression, may be present more in treatment-enrolled PGs than in those recruited from the community. Such emotional disturbances should be further explored to increase motivation and treatment adherence in PGs. In addition, due to relative absence of overall differences between the groups, research findings utilizing treatment-enrolled PGs may be a good representation of both groups.

Player account-based gambling: potentials for behaviour-based research methodologies

The emergence of player account-based gambling is a result of escalating technological sophistication and the incorporation of these developments into gambling. This term refers to gambling from a centralized account that is linked to an identified individual. Player account-based gambling is increasingly being utilized for multiple forms of Internet, mobile and land-based gambling through player cards and user-names. Player accounts track and store a wealth of data on gambling behaviour and related activities. Gambling research has been justifiably criticized for its reliance on self-report rather than behavioural measures. Research analysing player account data may advance conceptual models, identify behavioural risk factors for problem gambling and evaluate and guide effective policy and responsible gambling programmes. Although research utilizing player account data has unique limitations, it offers considerable benefits for researchers, operators and regulators. Research methodology incorporating the use of player account data stands to make significant contributions to the gambling field.

Impact of Visiting an Onsite Casino Information Centre on Perceptions about Randomness and Gambling Behaviours

At the beginning of 2000, some educational initiatives in the field of responsible gambling resulted in the implementation of Onsite Casino Information Centres (OCICs). However, no study has yet empirically evaluated the impact of visiting an OCIC. This paper includes two studies evaluating the OCIC Au Centre du Hasard, located in Montreal, Quebec. The goal of the first study was to identify the profile of the visitors and to assess their appreciation. After a visit, 336 patrons accepted to complete a pen and paper questionnaire. The goal of the second study was to evaluate the impact of a visit on the perceptions about randomness and the gambling behaviours of the visitors. For this study, 67 visitors were evaluated before, after, and 3 months following a visit and their results were compared to a control group. Data showed that most visitors were seniors, occasional slot machine gamblers, and in control of their gambling activities. The majority of guests greatly appreciated their visit. A visit to Au Centre du Hasard seemed to modify the misconceptions towards the notion of randomness but not the gambling behaviours. These gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Results with respect to other prevention programs are discussed, and future research avenues are suggested.

Lay and scientific conceptualizations of impaired control at electronic gambling machines

How do experts in the field of gambling and lay people represent the notion of impaired control (IC) on electronic gambling machines? This study included 37 international experts on gambling, 34 non-pathological gamblers and 32 pathological gamblers. Participation took place in the form of focus groups for gamblers and on the Internet for experts. The mixed methodology of concept mapping was used for comparing the representation of IC by the different groups. It relied on multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Qualitative and quantitative analysis revealed an important similarity between experts’ and gamblers’ representation of IC. When respondents were asked about IC, they referred essentially to excessive gambling, irrational cognitions surrounding gambling and negative consequences following excessive gambling. Although considered as central in the conceptualization of problem gambling and often relied upon in clinical practice, IC is not a straightforward and unidimensional concept. Therefore, it needs to be explicitly operationalized and clearly articulated when used in research.

In Pursuit of Empirically Based Responsible Gambling Limits

The present study sought to (1) obtain expert opinion on the importance of low-risk limits for the field of gambling; and (2) establish the face validity for a tentative set of low-risk limits empirically derived from a recent analysis of population data on gambling (Currie et al., 2006). Gambling experts (171 researchers, clinicians and policy-makers in Canada and the United States) completed an online or paper survey to assess their support for the concept of low-risk gambling limits, their opinions of existing responsible gambling guidelines and the face validity of tentative low-risk limits for gambling frequency, dollars spent, percentage of gross income spent on gambling and duration per session. The majority of those surveyed endorsed the need for low-risk limits and rated the limits as being face valid. Concerns voiced pertaining to their dissemination to the public included the potential for creating a false sense of security among gamblers, encouraging people to gamble and difficulties in applying the limits across different forms of gambling.

Pathological Gambling

Neurobiological research has shown the potential involvement of serotonergic, dopaminergic and opioid dysfunction in the pathophysiology of pathological gambling. In this review, we present current theories of the neuropathology of pathological gambling, paying particular attention to the role of the neural circuitry underlying motivation, reward, decision-making and impulsivity. This review also presents a literature review of current pharmacological treatment strategies for pathological gambling, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), opioid receptor antagonists, anti-addiction drugs and mood stabilizers, and also discusses the role of nonpharmacological interventions.A hypothetical model of the clinical subtypes of pathological gambling is presented, e.g. the impulsive subtype, the obsessive-compulsive subtype and the addictive subtype. This model attempts to integrate current knowledge in the field of pathological gambling regarding neuropathology, psychiatric co-morbidity, family history, genetics, course of illness, gender and response to pharmacological treatment. Finally, it is proposed that the existence of possible clinical subtypes of pathological gambling may provide a potential framework for matching the various subtypes with specific pharmacotherapies.

Guest Editorial: International Conference on Gambling 2006

This special edition includes selected papers from the 2006 International Conference on Gambling ‘Gambling and its Impacts: Policy, Practice and Research Perspectives.’ Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) hosted the conference, with financial support from the New Zealand Ministry of Health. It took place on 13 to 15 September 2006 at the AUT North Shore campus. The event continued major themes from two previous conferences held in Auckland. As in 2004 and 2005, the 2006 conference was held in conjunction with a meeting of the International Think Tank on Presenting Gambling Populations and First Contact Services. Gambling remains a major growth industry in many parts of the world—expanding into new markets, changing and evolving in diverse ways. The costs and benefits of this growth are multiple, complex and difficult to assess. They operate at different levels and are a touchstone for intense political, community and academic debate. The 2006 conference provided a forum to examine the impacts of gambling, in their various forms, on individuals, communities and societies. This included consideration of the nature and extent of these impacts and ways to reduce adverse consequences. The conference also provided an opportunity for participants from throughout the world to consider and discuss various recent developments and innovations in gambling policy, practice and research. This included examination of the extent to which research is responsive to and informs policy and practice. The host organisations both have long, significant, involvement in the gambling field. The PGF evolved from the Compulsive Gambling Society, which established the first national gambling help-line and counselling services in New Zealand during the early 1990s. The PGF is currently the largest organization of its kind internationally, with over 60 staff in 38 offices and clinics throughout the country providing a range of gambling-focused Int J Ment Health Addiction (2007) 5:277–278 DOI 10.1007/s11469-007-9123-3

Harm Reduction and Electronic Gambling Machines: Does this Pair Make a Happy Couple or is Divorce Foreseen?

Recent empirical studies have evaluated if modifying electronic gambling machine (EGM) structural features could encourage safer gambling behaviors and decrease gambling-related problems. Several of these studies refer to Harm Reduction (HR), suggesting that the HR paradigm is useful to design, implement and test the efficacy of various prevention and treatment programs applied to EGM users. After reviewing the origins of HR and specifying its operational definition, this paper discusses the relevance of the HR framework for the study of measures related to EGM use and gambling in general. Examples are given to illustrate the arguments. The results show that HR has been over-inclusive in the field of gambling. A specific and operational definition and application of the HR framework is required for HR to be useful for the advancement of research in the gambling field.

Internet Gambling Amongst Adolescents: A Growing Concern

Gambling researchers have often reported that research in the field of gambling remains in its infancy compared with other addictive behaviors. Twelve years ago Dr. Mark Griffiths’ seminal research on understanding adolescent gambling and problem gambling behaviors was published. Today, adolescent gambling research is no longer in its infancy. Research in the field has made great strides and has evolved as a result of Dr. Griffiths’ work. His qualitative investigations and insight into understanding the situational, environmental and social contexts associated with adolescent problem gambling has inspired continued efforts to better understand this phenomenon. Dr. Griffiths’ insights and predictions of the impact of technological advances associated with changing structural characteristics in electronic gaming machines and the widespread impact of Internet and mobile gaming has spurred new research. For most adolescents gambling remains a form of entertainment without serious negative consequences. Yet, adolescent pathological gamblers, like their adult counterpart and independent of the negative consequences resulting from their excessive gambling, continue to engage in a wide variety of gambling activities. Internet gambling amongst adolescents clearly represents new challenges and problems. Some recent research concerning the risks associated with adolescent Internet gambling is provided.

A framework for reporting outcomes in problem gambling treatment research: the Banff, Alberta Consensus

The objective is provide a framework concerning the minimum features of reporting efficacy of treatment in the problem gambling field. Research to date has not used uniform outcome measures and it is, therefore, difficult to compare the relative efficacy of various approaches. Some studies emphasize self-reported behavioural measures such as frequency and intensity of gambling whereas others emphasise change with respect to the criteria used to diagnose problem gambling or use composite measures of symptom severity in multiple domains involving gambling-related thoughts, urges, and behaviours. An expert panel consensus. The proposed minimum features of reporting the efficacy of treatment outcome studies are: measures of gambling behaviour - the net expenditure each month, the frequency (in days per month) with which gambling takes place, and the time spent thinking about or engaged in the pursuit of gambling each month; measures of the problems caused by gambling - especially problems in the areas of personal health, relationships, financial, and legal; these measures can be complemented by additional measures of quality of life. measures of the processes of change - whatever mechanisms of change are assumed to occur. We believe that these guidelines are broad enough to allow clinical research conducted from diverse perspectives to allow valid cross study evaluations of intervention studies. Such conditions will facilitate the development of empirically validated best practice guidelines for use by clinicians in the management of problem gambling.

STEPS TOWARD RESPONSIBILITY

In his article, Orford raises many questions about gambling which ought to be of great concern for anybody dealing with addiction, addiction policy, and health issues (Orford 2005). Let me respond to, and elaborate on, some of his points. Yes, the UK government is disabling the public interest by siding with the addiction industry, especially alcohol and gambling industry. I agree with Robin Room (Room 2004) and Jim Orford (2005) in their criticism of the British government. However, this criticism could be applied to most governments around the world where there is a high consumption of addictive products, like alcohol, tobacco, drugs, bad food and computer games. It is a little unfair to attack the UK, because the UK is doing more right now to develop a responsible gambling policy than most European nations. Getting and handling money without strict control is a threat to the morale of all nations: You think it is rightfully yours and you want to have more (Bernstein 2000). Any government caught will be dependent on alcohol taxes and gambling revenues. The growth of gambling around the world has been promoted by two parties. The private gambling industry and state governments (Castellani 2000). The big problem with gambling is that most bad consequences and costs are long-term and hidden, while short-term gains appear to be great. Gambling could be a small profit or a bad business for society, but not something to promote for the economic and welfare reasons (Productivity Commission 1999). In the Swedish national gambling prevalence study (Rönnberg et al. 1999, Volberg et al. 2001) it was also found that a large part of the gambling revenues comes from heavy gamblers. It could be argued from the results of that study as well as from the Australian Productivity commission reports that at least a third of the gambling revenues come from people with gambling problems. For many the remedy for this sad state of affairs is a state monopoly. However, state monopolies have a lot of bad side-effects, like being in conflict with the idea of free trade and stifling of criticism as well as making development of innovative solutions to upcoming problems less common. The government's role ought to be the controller of the gambling, alcohol, and other addiction industries. But the government should not get into the double role of running and themselves owning any addiction industry. That role will undermine the government's role as promoting welfare for its citizen as a first duty. In the Nordic countries, for example in Sweden and Norway, there are good government controlling agencies to be found, but they have no power. The responsibility diffusion is characteristic of governments that run gambling themselves, thereby trying to avoid responsibility for the bad effects on the welfare of its citizens. The government's first duty is to have an independent research foundation for policy guidance. This research has to include gambling problem prevalence studies, the effects of methods to prevent and treat gambling problems as well as free research on subjects that researchers might want to investigate. The prevention and treatment of gambling problems should be readily available. The cost for all this will be at least 1% of the net revenues of gambling. The government's next duty is to have a plan for action and responsibility in the gambling field. Without any clear-cut plan for what to do to promote responsible gambling from individuals and the gambling industries, responsible gambling action will not exist. To control the government and to help the government to implement its plans for action in the gambling field we need a much more aware public and research community than we now have in most countries where gambling is abundant. This is also why I regard contributions by Orford (2005), Room (2004), and others well worthy of our attention. Dr Sten Ronnberg has at times received remuneration from gambling interests

On the Shoulders of Merton

Robert Merton’s theoretical formulations of unintended consequences provide a useful framework for understanding the potential consequences of problem gambling policy. More generally, a sociological perspective on mental illness perspective brings a particular insight to the field of gambling studies. Based on the current understanding of problem gamblers’ careers, one can speculate on a number of instances in which policies intended to help this population can actually exacerbate matters. Because of this potentiality, the field of problem gambling should both (a) engage the concept of unintended consequences in the sociological, Mertonian sense and (b) attempt to incorporate theory and research whenever possible to better understand the potential for such consequences.

How do slot machines and other electronic gambling machines actually work?

Slot machines and other electronic gambling machines (EGMs) are gambling devices that offer a variety of games. They are inexpensive to run, which makes it possible for casinos to offer low-stakes betting to a large number of customers. As a result, they have become the most profitable form of gambling. EGMs are found at casinos, on cruise boats, at racetracks, at local bars, and even at corner stores. Slot machines and other EGMs seem to attract a lot of myths. This is partly because of a lack of accurate information on how the machines work and partly due to the design of the machines. In this paper, we will discuss how slot machines really work. Our goal is to demystify the machines in order to demystify the games. We will also discuss some of the myths about slot machines. This paper is intended to serve as a resource for counsellors and prevention workers in the field of problem gambling. It is also intended for people in the general public who wish to understand slot machines.

Conceptualizing and treating pathological gambling: A motivationally enhanced cognitive behavioral approach

The field of pathological gambling is in its infancy. In this paper, we describe cognitive and behavioral models and treatment approaches to pathological gambling. We conclude that, based on controlled outcome research, cognitive behavioral therapies are among the more promising interventions. However, these interventions seem to pay insufficient attention to motivational factors and are marred by high attrition rates. As a possible remedy, we propose a motivationally enhanced cognitive behavioral intervention to increase pathological gamblers' engagement in, and commitment to, the treatment process. We present a case report to illustrate this intervention.

Online therapy: Implications for problem gamblers and clinicians1

It is clear that clinicians working in the field of problem gambling cannot afford to ignore the Internet. Psychological advice, help and treatment for gamblers are no exceptions with both counselling and psychotherapy entering the computer age. Such help comes under a variety of guises including Internet counselling, online therapy, webcounselling, cybertherapy, E-therapy, and cybercounselling (all on this partial list tend to get used interchangeably). Although there is no official description of how to define this activity, a common component of all these methods is that people logging into these Internet services are receiving psychological advice and/or 'treatment' at hundreds of websites. Predictably, the subject of Internet counselling is causing wide debate (especially on the Internet itself!). This paper overviews the main issues in the area and briefly examines 'telehealth', online therapy (and the various types currently available), the relative advantages and disadvantages of online therapy, and the implications for the treatment of problem gamblers. The authors approach this discussion acknowledging that online therapy has to be incorporated within the overall framework of the need for clinical assistance.

Development of an Instrument for the Analysis of Problem Gambling Counselling Practice

This article provides an overview of the development and validation of a Counsellor Task Analysis (Problem Gambling) [CTA (PG)] instrument undertaken in order to document the activities of counsellors in problem gambling services. The CTA (PG) aims to provide a broad overview of the complexity of the counsellor's role; specify the range of tasks they perform; and document the relationship between the frequency of task performance and the counsellor's beliefs about the importance of the tasks performed. The CTA (PG) instrument addresses nine dimensions of practice activity through nine subscales, all of which demonstrate internal consistency. It appears to be a strong instrument in terms of its measurement error characteristics for recommending its use with counsellors engaged in the field of gambling. The CTA (PG) gives counsellors the opportunity to document their practice and theories in use when dealing with a problem gambler, a member of the problem gambler's family and the community at large. The psychometric findings reported in this article should be viewed as the preliminary results of an ongoing research effort and further psychometric testing is anticipated.

Winning Web sites: Researching gambling on the Internet

On-line reports and papers are an increasingly popular way to distribute research findings. This trend seems to be especially true for the field of gambling and gaming research. New reports can be disseminated from Web sites to the rest of the Internet-connected world almost instantaneously. Oftentimes, these on-line reports contain more complete and detailed information than subsequent journal articles that report the same findings. As a librarian for the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, I’ve had the opportunity to identify hundreds of Web sites that include such reports. This review summarizes a number of these sites that provide access to original research reports and studies in electronic formats — generally HTML or PDF files (which are viewable in most current Web browsers).

Differences in preferred level of arousal in two sub-groups of problem gamblers: A preliminary report

Twelve problem poker machine players and thirteen horse race gamblers (20 males and 5 females; age range 28-69) completed a series of questionnaires which assessed levels of anxiety, their preferred state of arousal and their motivations to gamble. As predicted, problem poker machine gamblers were found to be more anxious and reported avoiding arousal more frequently than the horse race gamblers. Alternately, problem horse race gamblers were found to prefer heightened levels of arousal and appeared to gamble to achieve these optimal levels of arousal. However, there was no difference between the groups on proneness to boredom. The present results provide evidence which is consistent with the Reversal theory and its application to the field of problem gambling.

Pathological Gambling: Conceptual, Diagnostic and Treatment Issues

Conceptual and Diagnostic Issues in the Treatment of Gambling Pathological Gambling: Conceptual, Diagnostic and Treatment Issues Martin C. McGurrin, Ph.D. Sarasota, Florida: Professional Resource Press, 1992, 72 pp., $9.95. For those who have limited experience in working with pathological gamblers, Martin McGurrin's book provides a brief, informative survey of significant issues related to understanding and treating pathological gambling. Prevalence estimates and demographic data pertaining to pathological gambling are presented concisely along with a history of the problem. The background information on Gamblers Anonymous and the National Council on Problem Gambling that is included offers the reader helpful insight into two organizations that have been central to the development of the field of gambling treatment. In the section on "Conceptualization of Pathological Gambling," McGurrin discusses common characteristics of pathological gamblers. A shortcoming of his descriptions is that they are often based on what one must assume is the author's clinical impressions. McGurrin makes generalizations about pathological gamblers often without citing support from research or clinical literature for his statements. For example, he states, "As with Cyclothymic Disorder, the pathological gambler's periods of affective extremes are usually separated by months of normal mood and energy level." (p. 11) No citation is provided for this global observation. The reader might therefore be cautioned to consider that such general descriptions may be based on the author's personal experience. All too often in the field of pathological gambling, writers have presented their clinical observations based on limited samples of gamblers as broad generalizations (Custer, 1984). This unfortunately has often perpetuated stereotypes of pathological gamblers which persist despite subsequent presentation of more accurate, data based descriptions. Early writers such as Custer were perhaps justifiably presenting their impressions to a newly emerging field that had not yet developed a more extensive data base. However, current writers, like McGurrin, should indicate explicitly when they are presenting observations based on personal experience with gamblers as opposed to reporting descriptions based on larger samples. McGurrin presents a clear discussion of several relevant conceptual issues in terms of categorizing pathological gambling. He addresses the distinction between viewing pathological gambling as an impulse control rather than obsessive compulsive disorder. The question of how well pathological gambling fits an addiction model is discussed along with speculation on biological factors that may be contributing factors to this disorder. The section on diagnosis is limited to a listing of DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria and Gamblers Anonymous' Twenty Questions. The diagnosis and assessment of pathological gambling is a complex task, and could have easily been given greater attention than is included in this brief presentation. …