International Gambling Studies 

About: International Gambling Studies is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Lottery. It has an ISSN identifier of 1445-9795. Over the lifetime, 568 publications have been published receiving 13117 citations.

Problem Gambling and its Impact on Families: A Literature Review

Abstract: This paper offers an overview of the existing literature concerning problem gambling and families and identifies gaps in current research knowledge on this topic. Relevant theoretical perspectives are outlined and the role of familial factors in the development of problem gambling is discussed. This is followed by a focused review of the effects of problem gambling on family members, specifically the spouse, children and parents. Available treatments and therapies for family members are also reviewed. The paper concludes by identifying the limitations of existing knowledge and some directions for future research on this topic.

Defining the online gambler and patterns of behaviour integration: evidence from the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010

Abstract: This paper presents data from the British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) 2010, a large-scale random probability survey of adults (n = 7756), to examine how people gamble and ways in which online and offline gambling are integrated. Fourteen per cent of respondents were past year Internet gamblers (7% if purchase of lottery tickets online is excluded). The majority of online gamblers were also offline gamblers and a broader taxonomy of gambling subgroups was evident. This included those who chose different mediums of access for different activities and those who gambled online and offline on the same activity (mixed mode gamblers). These mixed mode gamblers had the highest rates of gambling involvement and higher problem gambling prevalence rates. Direct comparisons between Internet and non-Internet gamblers therefore ignore key questions of how people integrate online provisions with offline activities which may have important implications for our understanding of the relative risks associated with online gambling.

Access or adaptation? A meta-analysis of surveys of problem gambling prevalence in Australia and New Zealand with respect to concentration of electronic gaming machines

Abstract: It is widely believed that greater availability of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) has led to increases in problem gambling prevalence and related harms. It has also been proposed that individuals and populations adapt to exposure over time and that prevalence rates plateau or decline, even in the face of increasing availability. This study examines both hypotheses using a combined data set of 34 problem gambling surveys conducted in Australia and New Zealand since 1991. Strong statistically meaningful relationships were found for an increase in prevalence with increasing per capita density of EGMs, consistent with the access hypothesis and supported by no evidence of plateauing of prevalence with increasing density of EGMs. A decrease in prevalence over time with availability held constant is also evident, partially consistent with adaptation. It is likely that both forces are at work simultaneously, with implications for appropriate policy responses to gambling harm minimisation.

PGSI and DSM-IV in the 2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey: reliability, item response, factor structure and inter-scale agreement

Abstract: Data from the 2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey were used to examine the psychometric properties of the two problem gambling scales used in the survey: the Canadian Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and a DSM-IV-based scale. Analysis was based on those who reported any gambling in the past 12 months (between 5483 and 5528 participants for most analyses). The PGSI gave evidence of high internal reliability, uni-dimensionality, and good item-response characteristics. Several PGSI items showed extreme male to female endorsement ratios and a possible conclusion is that the PGSI is under-estimating the prevalence of problem gambling among women. The DSM-IV-based scale showed only satisfactory internal reliability, evidence suggesting bi-dimensionality, and poor performance of at least two items: those relating to gambling-related crime and ‘chasing losses’. The results also suggest that, for population survey purposes, problem gambling/non-problem gambling might best be viewed as lying on a continuum.