scholarly journals A Genealogical Analysis of the Medical Model of Problem Gambling

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-107
Author(s):  
Sean Wilcox
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Language Problem ◽  
Genealogical Analysis ◽  
New Form ◽  
Regulatory Decisions ◽  
Confessional Discourse

By applying Foucault’s genealogical approach, this article understands the ascension of the medical model of problem gambling as a happenstance and contingent effect of a new form of social control (biopower). The investigation reveals the cumulative effect of some of the heterogeneous components surrounding the medical model’s creation: discourses; institutions; laws; regulatory decisions; administrative measures; scientific proposition, and philanthropic, moral, and philosophical arguments. In the process, it becomes apparent that the medical model is an effect of a form of control that is embedded in the population itself as a norm and follows the schemata of confessional discourse. This power is disciplining individual bodies and regulating populations towards normality by making problem gamblers critically examine themselves and discursively reveal the results. However, the present subjectivity for problem gamblers (i.e., how they understand themselves and how they are understood by those who would improve them) is an effect of the type of power contained in the confession as well. A certain form of subjectivity is created by admitting ‘I am powerless over gambling.’ While the language problem gamblers use to describe themselves is a mere effect of power, it nevertheless determines how they think of themselves and their relationship with gambling.

Only problem gamblers spend less money when loot boxes are removed from a game: A before and after study of Heroes of the Storm

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Zendle
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Real World ◽  
Complex Pattern ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Gambling Severity ◽  
Reliable Correlation ◽  
Before And After Study

Loot boxes are items in video games that may be paid for with real-world money, but which contain randomised contents. There is a reliable correlation between loot box spending and problem gambling severity: The more money gamers spend on loot boxes, the more severe their problem gambling tends to be. However, it is unclear whether this link represents a case in which loot box spending causes problem gambling; a case in which the gambling-like nature of loot boxes cause problem gamblers to spend more money; or whether it simply represents a case in which there is a general dysregulation in in-game spending amongst problem gamblers, nonspecific to loot boxes.The multiplayer video game Heroes of the Storm recently removed loot boxes. In order to better understand links between loot boxes and problem gambling, we conducted an analysis of players of Heroes of the Storm (n=112) both before and after the removal of loot boxes.There were a complex pattern of results. In general, when loot boxes were removed from Heroes of the Storm, problem gamblers appeared to spend significantly less money in-game in contrast to other groups. These results suggest that the presence of loot boxes in a game may lead to problem gamblers spending more money in-game. It therefore seems possible that links between loot box spending and problem gambling are not due to a general dysregulation in in-game spending amongst problem gamblers, but rather are to do with specific features of loot boxes themselves.

scholarly journals Gambling and Problem Gambling in Canada in 2018: Prevalence and Changes Since 2002: Le Jeu et le Jeu Problématique au Canada en 2018 : Prévalence et Changements Depuis 2002

2020 ◽  
pp. 070674372098008
Author(s):  
Robert J. Williams ◽  
Carrie A. Leonard ◽  
Yale D. Belanger ◽  
Darren R. Christensen ◽  
Nady el-Guebaly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Type Of Gambling ◽  
Community Health Survey ◽  
Electronic Gambling ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Electronic Gambling Machine

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide an updated profile of gambling and problem gambling in Canada and to examine how the rates and pattern of participation compare to 2002. Method: An assessment of gambling and problem gambling was included in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and administered to 24,982 individuals aged 15 and older. The present analyses selected for adults (18+). Results: A total of 66.2% of people reported engaging in some type of gambling in 2018, primarily lottery and/or raffle tickets, the only type in which the majority of Canadians participate. There are some significant interprovincial differences, with perhaps the most important one being the higher rate of electronic gambling machine (EGM) participation in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The overall pattern of gambling in 2018 is very similar to 2002, although participation is generally much lower in 2018, particularly for EGMs and bingo. Only 0.6% of the population were identified as problem gamblers in 2018, with an additional 2.7% being at-risk gamblers. There is no significant interprovincial variation in problem gambling rates. The interprovincial pattern of problem gambling in 2018 is also very similar to what was found in 2002 with the main difference being a 45% decrease in the overall prevalence of problem gambling. Conclusions: Gambling and problem gambling have both decreased in Canada from 2002 to 2018 although the provincial patterns are quite similar between the 2 time periods. Several mechanisms have likely collectively contributed to these declines. Decreases have also been reported in several other Western countries in recent years and have occurred despite the expansion of legal gambling opportunities, suggesting a degree of inoculation or adaptation in the population.

scholarly journals And That is Where the Fun Ends – General Practitioners’ Conceptualisation of the Line between Recreational and Problem Gambling

2014 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Dieter Egerer ◽  
Virve Marionneau
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Group Method ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Individual

AbstractAIMS – Problem gambling is normally identified by fixed criteria of harm adapted from those of substance abuse and by focusing on the individual gambler. However, rigid definitions neglect institutional variations of gambling practices within different legislative configurations. This study proposes analysing the line between recreational and problem gambling by focusing on gambling behaviour and looking at the corruption of the defining factors of play (Caillois, 1958) in three different institutional contexts. DESIGN – A stimulated focus-group method (Reception Analytical Group Interview) was applied to seven groups of Finnish and French general practitioners each and three groups of German ones to study the variations of conceptualising the defining factors of play as introduced by Caillois. RESULTS – Corruption of play was distinguished by participants from all three countries as the dividing line between recreational and problem gambling, but cultural variations were found: the French and German GPs emphasised the loss of the exceptionality of gambling, whereas the Finnish GPs highlighted the invasion of the home by online gambling. Furthermore, the Finnish and German participants were more concerned about the use of gambling as an emotional regulator, while French GPs echoed the French medical model in discussing the adrenaline rush of problem gamblers. CONCLUSIONS – Caillois’ defining factors of play can be used to distinguish recreational from problem gambling and to offer a more encompassing definition of problem gambling. The perception of the line between recreational and problem gambling also seems to depend on the institutional and cultural context.

The stenographic mind

2019 ◽  
pp. 65-82
Author(s):  
Hugo Bowles
Keyword(s):  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Main Argument ◽  
Language Play ◽  
Writing Practices ◽  
New Form ◽  
Mental Operations ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter brings together the descriptions and discussion in Chapters 1, 2, and 3 to summarize the main argument of the book. Drawing on Douglas-Fairhurst’s metaphor of the concertina, the chapter introduces the idea of the ‘stenographic mind’ as the consequence of the intensive mental operations involved in writing and reading Gurney shorthand. These operations include word games and language play (section 4.1), phonotactics (understanding what words are possible in a language) and redintegration (combining parts of words to produce a whole one) (section 4.2), visualization (section 4.3), and vocalization (section 4.4). The chapter argues that the cumulative effect of these operations was to produce a form of stenographic thinking which enabled Dickens to solve the mental puzzle of the Gurney shorthand script and control the relationship between stenographic writability and readability. This is argued to be a new form of literacy which strongly influenced Dickens’s writing practices.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE LEVEL OF PROBLEM GAMBLING: A MACAO CASE

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-64
Author(s):  
Millissa Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Monthly Income ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
The Relationship

This study has two purposes. First, we aim to identify the demography factors, namely gender, marital status, educational level, age, monthly income, and cognitive factor, namely casino-related job and emotional intelligence are predictive of problem gambling. Second, we propose and test whether perceived control of time over work moderates the relationship between emotional intelligence and level of problem gambling. Data are randomly collected from 310 respondents in Macao. Results of logistic regression showed that respondents who are male, married, have a low educational level, low emotional intelligence, high monthly income, and have a casino-related job have a higher tendency of becoming problem gamblers. In addition, results of moderated regression indicated that the negative relationship between emotional intelligence and level of problem gambling is found more negative when the employees’ perceived control of time over work is low. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Change and continuity in a help-seeking problem gambling population: A five-year record*

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alun C. Jackson ◽  
Shane A. Thomas ◽  
Tangerine A. Holt ◽  
Neil Thomason
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Major Element ◽  
Client Characteristics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Counselling Services ◽  
Minimum Data ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Seeking Help

This paper provides an overview of some trends among problem gamblers seeking help through the BreakEven/Gambler's Help problem gambling counselling services in Victoria, Australia, between July 1995 and June 2000. Data presented are drawn from details collected on clients at registration, assessment, and all other client contacts to form a Problem Gambling Services minimum data set (MDS). Analysis of the MDS shows a number of noteworthy trends towards continuity or change. A major element of continuity is the ability of the service to attract women, who constitute around 50% of the clients for the period. Major changes include the increasing trend towards presentation of clients at an earlier stage in their "career" as problem gamblers. Also identified is persistence or change in client characteristics, such as gender differences in gambling activity and problem type and level. In addition, a range of other factors are explored, such as level of debt and its associated characteristics, the characteristics of people committing crimes to finance their gambling, and the differences between people presenting for counselling and problem gamblers in the community.

The interactive effects of avoidance coping and dysphoric mood on problem gambling for female and male gamblers

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Thomas ◽  
Susan Moore
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Mood States ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Avoidance Coping ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Dysphoric Mood

A study involving 83 female and 72 male gamblers tested the direct and interactional effects of avoidance coping and five dysphoric moods on problem gambling via regression analysis. Important differences were found between female and male gamblers. For female gamblers, loneliness, boredom, anxiety, depression and avoidance coping were all positively related to problem gambling. Additionally, interactions between these mood states and avoidance coping significantly predicted problem gambling; female gamblers with high dysphoria and high avoidance coping showed substantially more symptoms of problem gambling than those scoring high on only one variable. In contrast, loneliness and stress were the only significant predictors of problem gambling for males - neither avoidance coping nor any of the interactional relationships between mood and coping predicted problem gambling. These results support previous qualitative studies and suggest that female problem gamblers gamble as an escape from dysphoric moods. Even though male problem gamblers expressed more negative affect than male non-problem gamblers, there was no evidence to suggest that negative mood was a precursor rather than an outcome of gambling behaviour.

Problem Gambling and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Littman-Sharp ◽  
Umesh Jain
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Medication Therapy ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Characteristic Features

There is evidence to suggest that a considerable subset of problem gamblers have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with characteristic features of impulsivity and difficulty sustaining attention. The two disorders, problem gambling and ADHD, interact on various levels; for instance, gambling impulses are poorly controlled and ADHD symptoms such as chronic boredom, depression and low self-esteem are relieved by the stimulus and reward of gambling. This article outlines some of the clinical issues encountered in this population and uses case studies to illustrate common ways in which these clients present. Suggestions are made with regard to identification and assessment and it touches on interventions, including medication, therapy and the use of strategies to improve functioning and reduce impulsivity.

Chasing the criteria: Comparing SOGS-RA and the Lie/Bet screen to assess prevalence of problem gambling and 'at-risk' gambling among adolescents

2006 ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Rossow ◽  
Helge Molde
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
South Oaks Gambling Screen ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Control Dimension ◽  
School Survey ◽  
Risk Gambling ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Gambling Frequency

Most instruments assessing gambling problems are relatively extensive and therefore not suitable for comprehensive youth surveys. An exception is the two-item Lie/Bet questionnaire. This study addresses to what extent two instruments (Lie/Bet and South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA)) (1) overlap in classifying problem gambling and at-risk gambling, (2) reflect different underlying dimensions of problem gambling, and (3) differ in distinguishing between young gamblers with respect to intensity and frequency of gambling in gender-specific analyses. Data stemmed from a school survey among teenagers in Norway (net sample = 20,700). The congruence in classification of problem gamblers was moderate. Both instruments discriminated sensibly between youths with high versus medium and low gambling frequency and gambling expenditures, although more so for boys than for girls. Both Lie/Bet items loaded on one 'loss of control' dimension. The results suggest that the Lie/Bet screen may be useful to assess at-risk gambling for both genders in comprehensive youth surveys.

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