This is the second in a series of books intended to review and evaluate the most popular and influential explanations for gambling and the many research studies that have been conducted to confirm or refute them. This book focuses on the contributions of specialists in the social sciences, most of whom are convinced that gambling is a consequence of the social or subcultural environment in which the gambler lives. To further the understanding of why people gamble, investigators went to places where gambling occurred and spent time among and interacted with the gamblers. Some attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings and others became participant observers in gambling establishments by becoming employed as roulette croupiers or card dealers. Topics covered include the gambler's point of view, the researcher's point of view, social structure, economics, statistical tests of earlier ideas, special populations, ``armchair'' theories, gambling and the public, problem correlates, and risk factors. In addition, a critique of the qualitative and quantitative studies involving survey research methods and interview research methods is given that provides theoretical explanations for why people gamble. Numerous results from geographical surveys are provided, as well as tables that examine the research of problem gambling.

First Published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

machines stems from the consumer, the product, or the interplay between the two. --

The Psychodynamics and Psychology of Gambling is the first volume in the four-volume The Gambling Theory and Research Series. Author Mikal Aasved felt a need to fill what he perceived to be a lack of background sources or reviews of literature pertaining to gambling theory and research. This series will present major findings of leading researchers as they study the causes and effects of gambling, both recreational and excessive. This first entry in the series reviews the most influential psychodynamic and psychological theories that explain why people gamble. Psychoanalytical theorists discussed include Freud, Von Hattingberg, Fenichel, Bergler, Simmel, Greenson, Stekel, and others. Aasved includes sections on behavioral (learning or reinforcement theory) psychological approaches to gambling with discussion of Skinner's ideas and research findings as well as Pavlov's principles. This book begins with the question 'Why do people gamble?' and offers many theories proposed by clinicians, laboratory and field researchers, and participants as they seek to explain the motivation behind gambling. The differences between gambling as entertainment and gambling compulsion is a focus of much research. Aasved addresses ideas set forth as to why some people are able to control their gambling and others cannot, even when it means sacrificing their jobs, family, and material possessions. This text provides a comprehensive background into theories of addiction research as studied by leaders in the field.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.tandfebooks.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license. Gambling is both a multi-billion-dollar international industry and a ubiquitous social and cultural phenomenon. It is also undergoing significant change, with new products and technologies, regulatory models, changing public attitudes and the sheer scale of the gambling enterprise necessitating innovative and mixed methodologies that are flexible, responsive and ‘agile’. This book seeks to demonstrate that researchers should look beyond the existing disciplinary territory and the dominant paradigm of ‘problem gambling’ in order to follow those changes across territorial, political, technical, regulatory and conceptual boundaries. The book draws on cutting-edge qualitative work in disciplines including geography, organisational studies, sociology, East Asian studies and anthropology to explore the production and consumption of risk, risky places, risk technologies, the gambling industry and connections between gambling and other kinds of speculation such as financial derivatives. In doing so it addresses some of the most important issues in contemporary social science, including: the challenges of studying deterritorialised social phenomena; globalising technologies and local markets; regulation as it operates across local, regional and international scales; and the rise of games, virtual worlds and social media.

This one-volume reference provides a comprehensive overview of gambling in the Americas, examining the history, morality, market growth, and economics of the gaming industry. This is the most complete encyclopedia of gambling, covering the industry in great detail including the players, the games, the venues, and the surrounding social issues. Updates in this second edition reveal the impact of technological advances on the games, the growing legislation regulating the industry, and the expanding global footprint of gambling across the world—from Manitoba to Montana. Author William N. Thompson postulates on the impact of gambling on local communities and shows how the U.S. gaming industry is tied to the global market, most notably gaming expansion in Macau and Singapore. The book addresses the various forms of gaming, such as casino-based and online gambling, sports betting, and lotteries. Additional content examines the social issue of problem and pathological gambling and addresses the rehabilitation programs available for the mitigation and treatment of gambling problems.