Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gambling, Adulthood

  • Chapter
Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion

  • 24 Accesses

Abstract

Given time and place, gambling has been considered a form of entertainment, of deviant or sinful behavior, and often considered both simultaneously. Presently across North America, gambling is widely accepted as a recreational activity. In large part this is due to the financial link that exits between legal gambling and government, which heavily taxes this enterprise (Stebbins, 1996). Gambling takes many forms such as lotteries, slots, gaming tables, and sports betting. The majority of adults (greater than 80 percent) indicate having participated in recreational gambling activities at some time (National Research Council, 1999). Of this number, only a small percentage have been identified as “problem” or “pathological” gamblers. It is only recently that the Problems associated with gambling (debt, family suffering, etc.) have received public and scientific attention (Hollander, Buchalter, & DeCaria, 2000). These gambling related problems have “taken the front stage in the continuing debate over legalized gambling” (Lesieur, 1998) and led Petry and Armentano (1999) to describe gambling as the addiction of the 1990s.

This paper was partially supported by a grant from the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre (OPGRC). Any ideas presented here are not representative of the OPGRC; but are the sole expression of the authors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (APA). (1980). Diagnostic and statistical manual of psychiatric disorders. Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, G., & Brown, R.I. (1984). Real and laboratory gambling, sensation seeking and arousal. British Journal of Psychology, 75, 401–410.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ashley, L.R. (1990). “The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart”: The mindset of gamblers revealed in their language. Journal of Gambling Studies, 6, 241–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergler, E. (1958). The psychology of gambling. New York: International Universities Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A.P., & McConaghy, N. (1988). SCL-90 assessed psychopathology in pathological gamblers. Psychological Reports, 62, 547–552.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A.P., McConaghy, N., & Frankova, A. (1989). Crime, antisocial personality and pathological gambling. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 5, 137–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A.P., Steel, Z.P., & McConaghy, N. (1997). Implusivity in pathological gambling: The antisocial impulsivist. Addiction, 92, 75–87.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A.P., Winter, S.S., & McConaghy, N. (1986). Sensation seeking and pathological gambling. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 3–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blume, S.B. (1987). Compulsive gambling and the medical model. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 237–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blume, S.B. (1994). Pathological gambling and switching addictions: Report of a case. Journal of Gambling Studies, 10, 87–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brenner, R., & Brenner, R.A. (1990). Gambling and speculation: A theory, a history, and a future of some human decisions. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs, J.R., Goodin, B.J., & Nelson, T. (1996). Pathological gamblers and alcoholics: Do they share the same addiction? Addictive Behaviors, 21, 515–519.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R.I.F. (1987). Classical and operant paradigms in the management of gambling addictions. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 15, 111–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlton, P.L., & Goldstein, L. (1987). Physiological determinants of pathological gambling. In T. Galski (Ed.), The handbook of pathological gambling (pp. 111–122). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlton, P.L., & Manowitz, P. (1994). Factors determining the severity of pathological gambling in males. Journal of Gambling Studies, 10, 147–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlton, P.L., Manowitz, P., McBride, H., Nopra, R., Swartzberg, M., & Goldstein, L. (1987). Attention deficit disorder and pathological gambling. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 48, 487–488.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Castellani, B., & Rugle, L. (1995). A comparison of pathological gamblers to alcoholics and cocaine misusers on impulsivity, sensation seeking and craving. International Journal of the Addictions, 30, 275–289.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daugherty, R.P., & Leukefeld, C. (1998). Reducing the risks for substance abuse: A lifespan approach. New York and London: Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Derevensky, J., & Gupta, R. (2000). Youth gambling: A clinical and research perspective. e-Gambling: The Electronic Journal of Gambling, 2, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devereux, E.C. (1979). Gambling. In The international encyclopedia of the social sciences (Vol. 17). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson, M., & Adcock, S. (1987). Mood, arousals and cognitions in persistent gambling: Preliminary investigation of a theoretical model. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 3–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson, M., & Hinchy, J. (1988). The prevalence of excessive and pathological gambling in Australia. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 4, 135–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferris, J., Wynne, H., & Single, E. (1999). Measuring problem gambling in Canada final report: Phase I. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Ontario, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, L., Manowitz, P., Nora, R., Swartzberg, M., & Carlton, P. (1985). Differential EEG activation and pathological gambling. Biological Psychiatry, 20, 1232–1234.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, M. (1995). Adolescent gambling. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, R., & Derevensky (1997). Familial and social influences on juvenile gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 13, 179–192.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hollander, E., Buchalter, A.J., & DeCaria, C.M. (2000). Pathological gambling. In E. Hollander & A. Allen (Eds.), The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23, 629–642.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, D.F. (1986). A general theory of addictions: A new theoretical mode. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 15–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, D.F. (1987). A general theory of addictions: Application to treatment and rehabilitation planning for pathological gamblers. In T. Galski (Ed.), The handbook of pathological gambling (pp. 169–194). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ladouceur, R., Sylvain, C., Letarte, H., Giroux, I., & Jacques, C. (1998). Cognitive treatment of pathological gamblers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 1111–1119.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leary, K., & Dickerson, M. (1985). Levels of arousal in high- and low-frequency gamblers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 23, 635–640.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lesieur, H.R. (1998). Costs and treatment of pathological gambling. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 556, 153–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesieur, H.R. (2000). Commentary: Types, lotteries, and substance abuse among problem gamblers. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 28, 404–407.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lesieur, H.R., & Rosenthal, R. (1991). Pathological gambling: A review of the literature. Journal of Gambling Studies, 7, 5–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingston, J. (1974). Compulsive gamblers: Observations on action and abstinence. New York: Harper Touchbooks.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCormick, R.A., Russo, A.M., Ramirez, L.F., & Taber, J.I. (1984). Affective disorders among pathological gamblers seeking treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 215–218.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McPherson, B.D. (1983). Aging as a social process: An introduction to individual and population aging. Toronto, ON: Butterworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mok, W.P., & Hraba, J. (1993). Age and gambling behavior: A declining and shifting pattern of participation. In W.R. Eadington & J.A. Cornelius (Eds.), Gambling behavior and problem gambling (pp. 51–74). Reno, NV: University of Nevada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moran, E. (1993). The growing presence of pathological gambling in society: What we know now. In W.R. Eadington & J.A. Cornelius (Eds.), Gambling behavior and problem gambling (pp. 135–142). Reno, NV: University of Nevada.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council of Welfare (1996). A guide to the proposed seniors benefit: A report. Ottawa, ON: The Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (1999). Pathological gambling: A critical review. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petry, N.M., & Armentano, C. (1999). Prevalence, assessment, and treatment of pathological gambling: A review. Psychiatric Services, 50, 1021–1027.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Politzer, R., Yesalis, C., & Hudak, C., Jr. (1992). The epidemiologic model and the risks of legal gambling: Where are we headed? Health Values, 16(2), 20–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riley, M.W. (1988). On the significance of age in sociology. In M.W. Riley (Ed.), Social change and the life course (Vol. 1). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R. (1986). The pathological gambler’s system for self-deception. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 108–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R. (1992). Pathological gambling. Psychiatric Annals, 22(2), 72–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R.J. (1993). Some causes of pathological gambling. In W.R. Eadington & J.A. Cornelius (Eds.), Gambling behavior and problem gambling (pp. 143–148). Reno, NV: University of Nevada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy, A., Adinoff, B., Roehrich, L., & Lamparski, D. (1988). Pathological gambling: A psychobiological study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45, 369–373.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, A., Adinoff, B., Roehrich, L., Lamparski, D., Custer, R., Lorenz, V., Barbaccia, M., Guidotti, A., Costa, E., & Linnoila, M. (1988). Extraversion in pathological gamblers. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 679–681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, H.J., & Gambino, B. (1989). The epistemology of “addictive disease”: Gambling as a predicament. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 5, 211–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G. (1997). Gambling and the public interest? Calgary, AB: Canada West Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins, R. (1996). Tolerable differences: Living with deviance. Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, R.M., & Brown, R.I.F. (1988). An outcome study of Gamblers Anonymous. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 284–288.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taber, J.I. (1987). Compulsive gambling: An examination of relevant models. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 219–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volberg, R.A. (1993). Estimating the prevalence of pathological gambling in the United States. In W.R. Eadington & J.A. Cornelius (Eds.), Gambling behavior and problem gambling (pp. 365–378). Reno, NV: University of Nevada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volberg, R.A. (1996). Prevalence studies of problem gambling in the United States. Journal of Gambling Studies, 12, 111–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volberg R.A., Dickerson, M.G., Ladouceur, R., & Abbott, M.W. (1996). Prevalence studies and the development of services for problem gamblers and their families. Journal of Gambling Studies, 12, 215–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Anne-Marie Cantwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gerald R. Adams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Thomas P. Gullotta Martin Bloom Jonathan Kotch Craig Blakely Lynne Bond Gerald Adams Colette Browne Waldo Klein Jessica Ramos

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Cantwell, AM., Adams, G.R. (2003). Gambling, Adulthood. In: Gullotta, T.P., et al. Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0195-4_74

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0195-4_74

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-4961-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0195-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation