Dr. Garry J. Smith has spent many years at the forefront of critical gambling research in Canada. In this interview he talks about the genesis of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, how sociology brings a different lens to gambling studies than psychology, why he speaks out against certain aspects of commercial gambling, the relationship between fun and fairness, and the critical gaps in research that need to be added to address the inherent conflicts of interest that occur with self-regulated gambling.
The interview was conducted by academics Fiona Nicoll and Mark R Johnson on 29 November, 2017. A transcript of the conversation was edited for publication. As part of this process, both interviewers and the interviewee were invited to edit their remarks