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In defence for the industry, one our biggest training schemes as staff in all departments is how to deal with a problem gambler how to know the signs and thousands of people are nationally banned because of the vigilance of the staff in our casinos, im not sure if anyones ever noticed but have you ever seen an advert for most uk casinos? youll very rarely and never in the case os the company i work for see an advert offering you cheap bets and fantastic times unlike adverts for pubs and such.
The people who come to us come by choice not because the media provoked them and all of us staff are there its our responsibilty to help out people we think have a problem.
On the subject of ads, I'm sure you have seen lots for online casino's,they are everywhere on tv, at sports grounds and online. I know that staff training is pretty good in casino's, I think it is more out of self interest rather than concern for the gambler really though, they don't want bad publicity, and especially right now, with the gambling bill still up in the air.
Its highly unlikely tat a child on holiday at the seaside playing the 2penny slots is going to turn round to mum and dad on his 9th birthday and say hes a compulsive gambler.Its all an addiction but theres a huge difference between things like the lottery arcades and casinos there going to promote the lottery because the funds from it cover so many things some would almost have you look at playing the lottery as giving to charity and most arcades are promoted as somewhere thats fun and all have bets so tiny itd be almost impossible to loose your house family and job because of it leading you back to a proper gambling establishment which as i said isnt advertised as anything glamourous its something you have to venture into the world of by yourself.
theres just something fun about casinos, not much fun if you dont know what you are doing but learning is part of the fun.
I've read a lot of case studies of teenage gambling and most of the teenagers say there first experience of gambling was in penny arcades, in reference to the lottery, the lottery is dangerous because it is explicitly advertised on tv, and your made to feel that your doing your bit for charity by buying a ticket, the fact that is government backed gives people the impression that gambling is ok.
Arcades, the prizes currently are very small, but they get people into the habit and look at the reports from organisations like Gamblers Annonomous, it does lead to more expensive types of gambling.
I don't have casino figures to hand, but according to William Hills, each of there FOBT machines (mini roulete machines), turnsover £34,020 per day and makes £350 in profit.
I have little sympathy with those that top themsleves. Very selfish thing to do however much trouble they may be in.
Of course they are, but please explain how one is 'more addictive' than the other?
Now Kentish was saying that the problem with gambling is that people become easilly addicted, and my point was that the same could be said of drinking, and that infact alcoholism is far more lethal.
Alcoholics will eventually die if they carry on drinking, if they give up to quickly they will die, and even if they do get over their addiction they're quick likely to have done enough damage to led them to an early grave.
In my view gambling is no more irresponsible than drinking. There will always be somebody that falls into the trap, but the majority of people will a flutter or a have a little drink without encountering any other problems.
Just a little information on gambling
http://www.researchweb.org.uk/gambling/gamblingsec1.html#who
How many problem gamblers are there currently in this country?
The simple answer to this question is that no-one really knows. Estimates of the prevalence of problem gambling in the adult population range from 0.2% to 1%. The rate of adolescent problem gamblers, using specially designed screening material, has found to be approximately 6%.
Who gambles excessively?
Those excessive gamblers who attend GA or other helping services tend to be white, middle-aged, married males (Dickerson, 1989). However, American studies suggest that this does not reflect reality. Volberg (1994), found that one-third of problem gamblers in the community were women and that clinical populations underestimated excessive gambling amongst ethnic minorities. Hraba and Lee (1996) found that women gamble on a narrower range of gambling forms than men (specifically, fruit machines, casino games and bingo) but are equally likely to gamble excessively.
What is the impact of problem gambling?
The potential effects of excessive gambling include...
Financial problems: These include: having limited disposable income; significant debt; selling property to finance gambling; having property repossessed; difficulties in meeting rent or mortgage payments, in paying utility bills or in purchasing everyday items; and bankruptcy (e.g. Gamblers Anonymous, 1984; Meulenbeek and Gorter, 1996). Moody (1990) believes that relatively small debts can hasten a crisis for women problem gamblers. In Fisher's (1993) study of 11-16 year olds in a British seaside town, where access to "amusement" arcades is virtually unlimited, 37% had borrowed and 21% had spent dinner monies/bus fares to gamble on fruit machines.
Ironically, there is little empirical data on the extent of financial problems experienced by excessive gamblers (Lesieur, 1992). However, financial difficulties are such an inevitable consequence of excessive gambling that they are effectively definitive of it (Walker, 1992).
Physical health problems: Lamberton and Oie (1997) cite research (e.g. Taber, 1985; Taber and Chaplin, 1988) that indicates excessive gamblers suffer from physical complaints including: chronic headaches; breathing difficulties; chest pains; cardio-vascular illness; obesity; sleeping difficulties; and dental problems. These physical symptoms can linger long after abstinence from gambling (Lorenz and Yaffee, 1986).
Psychiatric problems: Chacko et al. (1997) cite evidence (Linden et al., 1986; Bland et al., 1993; Blaszczynski and McConaghy, 1998) which indicates that depression and recurrent major affective episodes are between two and four times more likely to be experienced by problem gamblers than by psychiatric out-patients or non-psychiatric controls. In one study of Gamblers Anonymous (GA) members discussed by Lesieur (1992) 72% had experienced at least one major depressive episode and 52% had recurrent major affective disorders. Studies indicate that suicide attempts by GA members range from 15-24%, five to ten times higher than for the general population (Lesieur, 1992).
Family problems: Excessive gambling can cause family life to be beset with crises, turmoil, stress, poor communication, marital dysfunction, ineffective parenting, and family breakdown (Abbott et al., 1995). The wives of GA members feel anger and resentment long after their husband stops gambling and problems of intimacy and communication persist (Lorenz and Yaffee, 1989). Lorenz and Yaffee (1988) found that nearly half the spouses of GA members suffer from depression, headache, gastro-intestinal ailments and insomnia. There is evidence that one in ten adolescents fall out with their families because of their (the adolescent's) fruit machine gambling (Fisher, 1993).
The children of problem gamblers often experience relations with their gambling parent as unpredictable; this leads to feelings of anger, hurt, loneliness, confusion and rejection (Lesieur and Rothschild, 1989). Worry about family stability and personal welfare can contribute to poor school performance in children of problem gamblers (Abbott et al., 1995). Lorenz and Shuttleworth (1983) found that problem gambler's children experience stress related illness such as allergies, asthma and digestive disorders (Abbott et al., 1995).
Real-life accounts of the damaging impact of parental excessive gambling on families are available (e.g. Gamblers Anonymous, 1984; Willans, 1996) as are accounts of the familial impact of adolescent gambling (Griffiths, 1995; Dunlop, 1998).
Occupational problems: Lesieur (1992) argues that problem gambling can lead to occupational problems including poor concentration, borrowing from fellow colleagues and stealing from the workplace. Problem gambling can lead to an increase in absenteeism, sick leave, staff turnover and grievances which results in a greater need for managerial supervision (Scarfe, 1999). The true extent of these problems are unknown and more research is needed (Lesieur, 1992). There is considerable evidence of adolescents truanting from school to gamble (Fisher, 1991, 1998). Truancy levels appear to increase with frequency of gambling (NHTPC, 1988 cited in Fisher, 1991).
Legal problems: Problem gamblers may turn to illegal activities as their options for raising finance legally are closed off; two-thirds of non-incarcerated and 97% of incarcerated problem gamblers admit engaging in illegal behaviour to finance gambling or related debts (Lesieur, 1992). In Brown's (1986) study one third of GA members had criminal convictions, almost exclusively for non-violent, property offences (theft and fraud). Research suggests that a significant minority of adolescents steal from their family, and outside, to finance gambling (Fisher, 1993, 1998).
A simple cause and effect link between problem gambling and crime cannot be drawn (Huff and Collinson, 1987) but problem gambling should be seen as a contributory factor in some people's criminal activities (Brown, 1986).
The impact of problem gambling will be unique in each individual case. The research cited here provides only a sample of potential problems, however it does beg the question...
Personality theories and psychoanalytical theories are excluded here as they are widely considered to be lacking in methodological validity or practical utility (Walker, 1992). Briefly, the former propose that the gambler has traits (such as extroversion or sensation seeking) which predispose him/her to seek out gambling and the latter contend that gambling is a way of acting out instinctual drives. More relevant theories include...
Affective theories: The crux of these theories is that excessive gambling offers emotional and psychological escape from life's stresses. Jacobs (1988) believes that excessive gambling leads to a state of dissociation which blurs reality, permits pleasant day-dreaming and reduces self-consciousness (Lamberton and Oie, 1997). It is believed that women are more likely to gamble to escape life's problems than men (Lesieur and Blume, 1991).
Learning theories: These theories contend that excessive gambling is a learned behaviour re-inforced by conditioning processes. Harris (1989) contends that classical conditioning reinforces the link between betting and feelings of arousal, and operant conditioning occurs through a sense of escape and heightened optimism (Lamberton and Oie, 1997). Intermittent reward schedules, as in gambling, lead to greater behavioural persistence (following the cessation of rewards) than regular schedules and this explains continued gambling in the face of persistent losses (Bijou, 1957; Keppel et al., 1967; both cited in Griffiths 1995).
Physiological theories: Theories pointing to a physiological cause for excessive gambling are becoming increasingly common (Griffiths, 1995). Reduced seretonin levels leading to impaired attention and high impulsivity (Carlton and Manowitz, 1987); disturbance of the noradrenergic system, which is thought to effect sensation-seeking behaviour (Roy et al., 1989); and unusual gene variations linked to addictive behaviour (Comings et al., 1994), have all been postulated as possible physiological substrates of excessive gambling (Griffiths, 1995). Brown (1987) believes that gambling is maintained by a desire to maintain a subjective feeling of high arousal (Lamberton and Oie, 1997).
Psychiatric theories: The potential psychiatric impact of problem gambling was alluded to in the previous section. However, research with male (e.g. Custer and Custer, 1978) and female populations (Lesieur, 1988) suggest that more than a quarter of problem gamblers have mental health problems prior to gambling (Griffiths, 1995). It is possible that some individuals gamble excessively because they are mentally ill.
Socio-Cultural theories: The social attraction of gambling has been documented: for example, bingo (Dixey, 1996); horse-race betting (Rosecrance, 1986 cited in McMillen, 1996b); and fruit machine gambling (Griffiths, 1995) have been shown to be socially rewarding for women, men and children respectively. Ocean and Smith (1993) argue that social rewards of gambling are dependent upon adherence to group norms, remaining on the scene and gambling substantial sums (Lamberton and Oie, 1997). Fisher and Bellringer (no date) suggest that prolonged exposure to the rich sub-culture of fruit machine playing in amusement arcades places children at risk of excessive gambling.
Cognitive theories: The basic argument of these theories is that problem gamblers have a range of faulty beliefs which maintain their gambling activity despite serious losses (Walker, 1992). Walker (1992, p.6) describes these beliefs as "irrational thinking". "Chasing losses" is an example of irrational thinking and can be seen in statements such as "I haven't won for a while, so I am bound to win today". Walker (1992) argues that excessive gamblers believe wins are due to their skill and that losses are due to chance events. Losses are perceived as "near wins" and this encourages continued participation (Walker, 1992). Many forms of gambling are organised to ensure a high frequency of "near wins" (Reid, 1986).
Langer (1975) demonstrated that some individuals perceive chance events as controllable and termed this the 'illusion of control' (Griffiths, 1995). Walker (1996, p.236) proposes that excessive gamblers are under the illusion that they can master gambling and are overly "committed" to their project of demonstrating this. Excessive gamblers display a level of commitment that is normally applauded in society but is doomed to failure in this context (Walker, 1996).
Psychological theories of gambling addiction: There has been a trend in recent years to view excessive gambling as an addiction (Griffiths, 1995). This is reflected in the literature (Blume, 1995; Marks, 1990) and in the criteria for "pathological gambling" adopted by the American Psychiatric Association in their 1994 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (APA, 1994); these criteria are based on those for psycho-active substance abuse (Griffiths, 1995). Walker (1996) objects to the conceptualisation of excessive gambling as an addiction as there is no evidence of tolerance effects, withdrawal symptoms or relief from withdrawal symptoms on resumption of involvement, as there are in substance abuse.
The emphasis on these factors as being indicative of addiction has been criticised (Orford et al., 1996). Orford et al. (1996, p.48) believe that addiction should be conceptualised in terms of the individual's "attachment" to the activity, the crucial measures being: frequency; regularity; quantity; preoccupation; subjective feelings of being "addicted"; harm caused; and difficulty in reducing or giving up the behaviour. When considered in these terms gambling is as potentially addictive as alcohol (Orford, et al., 1996).
Orford et al. (1996) propose that primary, secondary, and tertiary factors combine in a cyclical fashion to promote attachment to gambling. Primary factors are the positive rewards of gambling (e.g. wins, excitement) and tertiary factors are the harms associated with gambling which promote attachment (e.g. loss of esteem through gambling increases the need to escape from negative feelings) (Orford et al., 1996). The secondary factors highlighted are: the increased drive to obtain money; the strong negative reactions to losing which drive the gambler to "chase" losses; the need to maintain secrecy about losses, which creates motivation to gamble; and cognitive defences, which allow for losses to be ignored and for hope to be maintained. These complex factors can explain a state of over-attachment which is often termed, or experienced as, "addiction" (Orford et al., 1996).
This discussion provides a flavour of some explanations for excessive gambling. Walker (1992) suggests that no single perspective can fully explain problem gambling and Griffiths (1995) stresses the need for an eclectic approach to its understanding. Clearly, the reasons why an individual may gamble excessively will be unique in each case and will incorporate personal and environmental factors. The widespread availability and marketing of gambling must also be considered relevant.
It should also be noted that research consistently indicates that early involvement in gambling is significantly linked with excessive gambling. Dell et al. (1981) found the average age of gambling onset amongst problem gamblers to be 13 years old (Griffiths, 1995). Similar results have been found by many researchers (e.g. Griffiths, 1989; Volberg, 1994). Another reliable predictor of excessive gambling is parental involvement in gambling; those whose parents gamble are more likely to gamble excessively (Fisher, 1998; Wood and Griffiths, in print).
Studies show that Gambling is as much an addiction as alcohol or drug abuse, it has physical as well as mental health effects and is a real community problem.
Just as with most drinkers, most gamblers do not become addicts.
Most drunk drivers get home safely, so why is there a law against it.
Laws are there to protect people from hurting themselves or other people.
An estimated 2.5 million Americans are be compulsive gamblers.
America has a population around 5 times that of the UK, so we could estimate around 1/2 million people in Britain.
Compulsive gamblers are 20 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population,they are more likely to commit crimes to finance there addiction, more likely to experience marrage breakup, with the social concequeses that that brings, they are less likely to be able to hold down a job, and suffer more depression and physical illnesses than the general population.
A lot of people do enjoy the thrill of backing a horse, or a football team, or playing the lottery ect, but that has to be weighed against the harm it does to society in general, the pure economic costs are horrific.
Why not just have a carpet ban on drinking, or even better driving? That way there will never be any more traffic accidents?
The majority of people who gamble, drink and take drugs responsibly should not have to be punished, simply becuase there is a small number of people who do run into problems.
Anyway,i could only think of one thing to say you pointed out that so many americans are problem gamblers,have you eer been t america?places like las vegas are advertised as glamourous amazng fun places to be advertised in a way you will never see a british casino advertised.
Gambling over there is a whole nother ball game in all the places it isnt illegal is a huge thing with casinos being the centre to other huge leisure developments.
Would have to take issue there. To say that is to greatly underestimate the catastrophic effects a gambling addiction can have. Whilst a drinking addiction will lead directly to potential death, so may a gambling addiction indirectly. E.g. lose house, end up on the streets, no food, no family etc etc....
There is nothing wrong with anything in moderation- drinking, drugs, gambling. I have a flutter on the football and the horses, I don't see the issue. I don't tend to gamble much because I always lose.
No it isn't.
Ah right. I do apologise. I thought I was as entitled as anyone else to say what I thought and comments on others' opinions.
Maybe it should be a rule of thesite that you have to add 'IMO' at the end of every message :rolleyes:
What the fuck are you on?
My point was that I hadn't underestimated the risks of gambling addiction when I made that origninal comment.
Yes, and my point was that I thought you had. I was also getting at the fact that your response was rather unconstructive!
It was to highlight the fact that in my mind alcoholism is just as if not more destructive, and that the anti gamblign people here who enjoy a drink every now and again are somewhat hypocrital.
Then you go into this "Am I not entiled to an opinion" bollocks.
Having said that you could of course gain a problematic relationship with either in roughly the same amount of time.
On a side note gambling is addictive for the same reason cocaine is, dopamine, the bodies natural pleasure giving chemicals.