Legal gambling availability and youth gambling behaviour: A qualitative longitudinal study

In many countries, gambling has gained status as a socially accepted form of entertainment. Studies of how and to what extent young people are influenced by changes in gambling availability are relatively inconclusive, and knowledge of why youth gambling behaviours increase or decrease under changing conditions is sparse. This study addressed this situation by examining qualitatively how young people experience and respond to changes in gambling opportunities. The research presented in the article is part of a large longitudinal study of gambling behaviours among Danish adolescents. Data were collected over a period of 3 years with three waves of interviews with a 10- to12-month frequency. A number of issues were identified and these were integrated into four overarching analytical themes: legislation, conditions of entry, proximity and technological innovations. Implications for further research and policy are considered.     

National survey on lifestyles and gambling in Serbia: gambling participation and problem gambling in adult population

The aim was to examine the association of socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics with gambling severity level. The study was a part of the National Survey on Lifestyles in Serbia: Substance Abuse and Gambling, in 2014. The sample consisted of 5385 individuals. Based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score participants were divided into non-problem gambling, low-/moderate-risk gambling and problem gambling. Prevalence of problem gambling was 0.5%, which was associated with having poor self-perceived financial status, having moderate or high risk for psychological distress, playing sports betting, casino games and slot machines. Low/moderate gambling was associated with having poor self-perceived financial status, number of drinking days per year, using any illicit drugs in the last 30 days, playing sports betting, slot machines, and online betting. Programmes of early detection of problem gambling should be developed, and regulation of availability of slot machines and sports betting.     

Risk Factors for Problematic Gambling: A Critical Literature Review

This article is a critical review of risk factors for pathological gambling categorized by demographics, physiological and biological factors, cognitive distortions, comorbidity and concurrent symptoms, and personality symptoms and characteristics. There is also a varia section (availability, parents playing, sensory characteristics, schedules of reinforcement, age of onset, and playing duration). The review found very few well established risk factors for pathological gambling (i.e. more than two studies to support the conclusions). Well established risk factors included demographic variables (age, gender), cognitive distortions (erroneous perceptions, illusion of control), sensory characteristics, schedules of reinforcement, comorbid disorders (OCD, drug abuse), and delinquency/illegal acts. An understanding of risk factors for pathological gambling should enhance prevention and treatment approaches.     

Evaluating the Problem Gambling Severity Index

A large, integrated survey data set provided by the Ontario Problem Gambling Centre was used to investigate psychometric properties of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). This nine-item self-report instrument was designed to measure a single, problem gambling construct. Unlike its nearest competitor—the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS)—the PGSI was designed specifically for use with a general population rather than in a clinical context. The present analyses demonstrated that the PGSI does assess a single, underlying, factor, but that this is complicated by different, multiple factor structures for respondents with differing levels of problem gambling severity. The PGSI also demonstrated small to moderate correlations with measures of gambling frequency and faulty cognitions. Overall, the PGSI presents a viable alternative to the SOGS for assessing degrees of problem gambling severity in a non-clinical context.

How Do Gamblers End Gambling: Longitudinal Analysis of Internet Gambling Behaviors Prior to Account Closure Due to Gambling Related Problems

Objective: To examine behavioral patterns of actual Internet gamblers who experienced gambling-related problems and voluntarily closed their accounts. Design: A nested case–control design was used to compare gamblers who closed their accounts because of gambling problems to those who maintained open accounts. Setting: Actual play patterns of in vivo Internet gamblers who subscribed to an Internet gambling site. Participants: 226 gamblers who closed accounts due to gambling problems were selected from a cohort of 47,603 Internet gamblers who subscribed to an Internet gambling site during February 2005; 226 matched-case controls were selected from the group of gamblers who did not close their accounts. Daily aggregates of behavioral data were collected during an 18-month study period. Main outcome measures: Main outcomes of interest were daily aggregates of stake, odds, and net loss, which were standardized by the daily aggregate number of bets. We also examined the number of bets to measure trajectory of gambling frequency. Results: Account closers due to gambling problems experienced increasing monetary loss as the time to closure approached; they also increased their stake per bet. Yet they did not chase longer odds; their choices of wagers were more probabilistically conservative (i.e., short odds) compared with the controls. The changes of monetary involvement and risk preference occurred concurrently during the last few days prior to voluntary closing. Conclusions: Our finding of an involvement-seeking yet risk-averse tendency among self-identified problem gamblers challenges the notion that problem gamblers seek “long odds” during “chasing.”     

社会经济行为中的隐性博弈

伴随着物质利益关系的多元化,各种利益矛盾也呈现出多元化局面。利益矛盾的非程序解决在很多情况下要采取隐性博弈的形式。隐性博弈虽带有隐性特点,但却具有显性的表现形式。隐性博弈的存在危害性较大,必须加以治理和抑制。     

对当前体育社会问题的思考

探讨当前主要存在的体育社会问题 ,以期引起体育主管部门和社会的关注及重视 ,为体育方针、政策、路线的制订提供参考依据 ,并希望有关部门采取有效措施 ,预防并杜绝这类问题的发生 ,使体育运动沿着正确轨道良性运行和健康发展     

Advances in the pharmacological treatment of pathological gambling

In the present paper we discuss the current status of drug treatment for pathological gambling and the scientific rationales underlying the various pharmacological approaches. Specifically, we summarize the treatment study results of serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mood stabilizers, opioid antagonists, and atypical antipsychotics in pathological gambling. We also discuss dosage strategies, the duration of treatment, issues surrounding medication compliance, and approaches to treatment-refractory pathological gambling, such as pharmacological and behavioral augmentation.     

Evaluation and Treatment of Pathological Gambling

The aim of this article was to describe a model for evaluating and implementing cognitive-behavioral treatment for pathological gambling. The model takes into account the fact that pathological gamblers form a heterogeneous group with varied biopsychosocial characteristics.