What are the most harmful forms of gambling? Analyzing problem gambling prevalence surveys

Eighteen national prevalence surveys of problem gambling (PG), most of them from Europe, were analyzed to assess the relative harmfulness of various forms of gambling. It was found that interactive Internet gambling, casino gambling, electronic gaming machines, and high-stakes unregulated/illegal gambling are often relatively closely associated with PG, while lotteries and instant lotteries appear relatively harmless. Other forms of gambling—sports pools, bingo, horse betting, and sports betting—are typically relatively moderately associated with PG. This paper discusses the possibilities and limitations of assessing the harmfulness of various forms of gambling by analyzing prevalence survey data. It is concluded that although such analyses yield valuable insights, they should be complemented by other sources of information, such as statistics on the gambling activities of those seeking help for PG and qualitative studies of problem gambling

Bodies of vital matter : notions of life force and transcendence in traditional southern Italy

The aim of this study is to investigate beliefs and practices relating to vitality, illness and death in traditional Southern Italy. My prime argument is that many of these beliefs and practices relate to just a few interconnected sets of notions. A basic presumption for the analysis of the material is that vital force is construed as a quality or substance which can be lost as well as gained. A first set of notions concerns losses leading to weakness, illness or death, caused by another person’s appropriation of vitality. A second set includes ideas of how force of life might be gained from external sources, thereby reinvigorating the body. A third set concerns the inevitable situation in which physical life can no longer be sustained and death occurs. Transcendence beyond the carnal realm is symbolically achieved; a new and incorruptible body is created, or death is construed as giving new life. The study covers such topics as the occult transfer of mother’s milk, the evil eye, beliefs about menstruation and witches, the cult of saints, Easter celebrations, death rituals, burial customs and the celebration of All Souls Day

Games of life and death: The judicial uses of dice in eighteenth and nineteenth-century Sweden

Gambling studies should take a broad view of the field and consider activities that are not strictly gambling but similar to it, such as cleromancy and secular uses of drawing of lots, to give us perspective on societal and cultural aspects of gambling. This paper presents historical data on judicial uses of throwing dice in eighteenth and nineteenth-century Sweden. The focus is on cases of manslaughter with multiple perpetrators who were considered equally guilty and were forced by the criminal court to throw dice to determine who should be executed and who should receive lesser penalties. Three principles are distinguished in judicial uses of throwing dice—cost-effective deterrence, lottery of pardon, and guilt-revealing cleromancy—and similarities and dissimilarities to present commercial gambling are discussed. It is argued that the polythetic notion of family resemblance is useful in gambling studies since it does not impose fixed conceptual boundaries between activities that share many elements

Gambling motivation and involvement: A review of social science research

Permission to include this report in the Institute research repository granted by Per Binde on January 6, 2016.This report presents a review of social science research on gambling. The objective is to sum up what the literature says about the motives people have for gambling and the factors that influence their degree of involvement in gambling. The report is commissioned by the Swedish National Institute of Public Health and is part of the preparations to the data collection phase of the Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (SWELOGS). Most of the previous gambling research relies on medical concepts of problem gambling as pathology. This review focuses on the social, economic and cultural aspects of gambling rather than perceiving it as a progressive and irreversible disease in an individual. 434 works are cited in this report. Predominantly biological, psychiatric and psychological research on gambling, including problem gambling prevalence studies, which have been excluded from the review. Directly related to the description of each research approach, conclusions on the usefulness for gambling research can be found.YesSwedish National Institute of Public Healt

Gambling advertising: A critical research review

Permission to include this report in the Institute research repository granted by Per Binde on January 6, 2016.This report provides a critical review of research on gambling advertising, with particular attention to studies that concern the impact of such advertising on participation in gambling and the prevalence of problem gambling. Methodological issues and the potential of research approaches to produce reliable results are discussed, providing a basis for recommendations about future studies. The report has been commissioned by the Responsible Gambling Trust in the UK and the aim is that the Trust, other organizations and researchers will find the report useful when forming research priorities and planning studies. More generally, the report serves as an introduction to the topic of gambling advertising.YesResponsible Gambling Trus

Preventing and responding to gambling-related harm and crime in the workplace

AIMS – Problem gambling, even if it occurs in leisure time, can cause harm in the workplace. Problem gamblers are preoccupied with gambling and often suffer from psychiatric and psychosomatic symptoms caused by their excessive gambling. This may lead to inefficiency at work and absenteeism. Severe gambling problems typically lead to a constant need for money, which may result in theft of money or goods from the workplace and in embezzlement. This paper outlines measures to prevent and respond to gambling-related harm and crime in the workplace

Risk of problem gambling among occupational groups: a population and registry study.

Aims: To identify which occupational groups have elevated levels of regular gambling participation and at-risk and problem gambling, and to explore job-specific factors associated with elevated levels. Methods: Statistical analyses were performed on data from the 2015 Swedish population study on gambling and health. The principal registry variable was occupation, classified according to the Swedish version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08). Two gambling variables were studied: regular gambling participation and at-risk and problem gambling, as measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). For statistical regression analyses, socio-demographic data were used such as gender, income, and country of origin. Results: We found significant differences between occupational groups with regard to the two gambling variables. In general, manual jobs with predominantly male workers scored high, especially when there was no fixed workplace. Several significant differences remained when we controlled for gender. We also found support for three types of workers having elevated levels on the gambling variables: (1) building, construction and service, mobile, (2) vehicle drivers, and (3) monotonous manual indoor work. These results were confirmed by comparisons with propensity score matched controls. Conclusion: A policy implication of this study is that some occupational groups should be prioritised in the prevention of problem gambling. Theoretically, the study shows that occupational categories represent real-life cultures and contexts of gambling and non-gambling as distinct from the abstract socio-demographic factors that are usually considered in relation to gambling participation and problem gambling