Alberta Gambling Research Institute

Improved methodology was used to re-examine the weak correspondence between problem and pathological gamblers identified in population surveys and subsequent classification of these individuals in clinical interviews. The SOGS-R, the CPGI, the NODS and the Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM), as well as questions about gambling participation and expenditures, were administered to a total of 7272 adults. Two clinicians then assessed each person's status, based on comprehensive written profiles derived from these questionnaire responses. Instrument classification was then compared to clinical classification. All four instruments correctly classified most non-problem gamblers (i.e. had good to excellent sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive power). However, the PPGM was the only instrument with good classification of problem gamblers (i.e. excellent sensitivity and positive predictive power). The CPGI and SOGS-R had weak positive predictive power and the NODS had only adequate sensitivity and positive predictive power. Improvement in the classification accuracy of the CPGI occurred when a 5+ cut-off was used and when a 4+ cut-off was used with the SOGS. In general, the classification accuracy of the NODS, SOGS and CPGI is better than prior research suggested but overall accuracy is still modest. With adjusted cut-offs, all three instruments are reasonably congruent with clinical ratings.

Substance use and abuse is widespread around the world. There are clear cultural differences between countries and sometimes even within the same country regarding the use and abuse of substances. Various cultural and social factors play an important role in defining and treating patterns of substance abuse. Reasons for substance use and abuse vary from genetic, social, and psychological. Depending upon the degree of abuse and recognition of the patterns of abuse, help may be sought from a number of sources. Cultures and societies dictate how resources are allocated and how people are encouraged to use certain pathways into care. Identifying the unmet needs and mental health gap in the field of substance use and abuse is the first crucial step.

Gamblers and gambling have been variously viewed as derelict, immoral or criminal. Since the mid-1960s, notions of gambling generally and excessive gambling specifically have been reconstructed. Gambling, if done in moderation, is today generally viewed as an acceptable form of leisure. Those who gamble to the extent that relationships, family, friends, physical, social and mental heath, employment, or finances are adversely affected are now regarded as having a problem and offered government-sponsored therapeutic intervention. Recent developments in this transformative process have witnessed the emergence of coalitions of seemingly disparate interest seeking to promote responsible gambling. Our discussion charts these changing conceptions of gambling.

Abstract A widely practiced but understudied gambling activity is the wagering that occurs between participants in games of physical skill. Little is known about what draws players to this form of gambling, the sub‐groups involved or their social dynamics, the strategies employed, and whether, and to what extent, this activity is associated with disordered gambling. Gamblers were studied in their natural environment at two private golf clubs. Prominent themes emerging from the research include: motivations for gambling on golf, socialisation into golf course gambling, the golf course betting hierarchy, deceptive practices and evidence of disordered gambling. In general, the golf course wagering we investigated embraced several unique features and traditions that generally make it a salutary gambling experience, largely free of the destructive elements associated with luck‐based gambling formats. The study's findings are utilised to make observations about other gambling formats and gamblers in general.

Although pharmacological treatments for gambling disorder have shown some promise, questions remain regarding the relationships between primary outcome measures, cravings and sensitivities. In this review of the clinical literature of opioid treatments for gambling disorder an analysis is presented on primary outcome measures, dosing schedules, the reasons for drop-out, and adverse effects. This review of the extant literature shows a relationship between craving and primary outcome measures that appears to be mediated by individual differences, and mirrors the complexity found in the alcohol dependence literature. This relationship implies that individual differences mediate the effectiveness of opioid treatments and indicates that tailored ‘precision medicine’ treatments are possible for gambling disorder. For example, modifying dosing schedules based on personal and familial histories of co-morbidities (e.g. alcohol dependence or prior substance use), and using pharmacologies implicated in reducing impulsive behaviour might increase treatment effectiveness. Future basic science and applied research examining the interactions between pharmacologies and neurotransmitters may elucidate a possible pharmacological treatment taxonomy for gambling disorder.

Epidemiological research is a cornerstone of the public health approach to health and illness. This chapter outlines some critical issues related to the epidemiology of problem and disordered gambling. It begins by identifying the main instruments used to assess problem and disordered gambling in population studies. The chapter then discusses the purposes for conducting epidemiological research on problem gambling and identifies significant methodological variations that affect identified problem gambling prevalence rates and make it difficult to compare studies across different jurisdictions. It turns to a consideration of prospective, longitudinal studies, which have contributed to our understanding of how gambling problems develop and resolve. The focus is on the distribution of problem gambling in different demographic groups to gain a better understanding of risk factors associated with problem and disordered gambling. Finally, the chapter presents information on the best practices to follow in conducting epidemiological research on problem and pathological gambling.

En 2001, l’Alberta a mis en place une politique, la First Nations Gaming Policy, qui permet aux Autochtones de construire des casinos dans les réserves, mais qui stipule que 30 % des revenus du jeu réalisés par ces casinos doivent être versés au gouvernement qui les utilise ensuite à des fins caritatives dans la province. Durant les six années qui ont suivi l’ouverture du premier casino sur une réserve, presque toutes les nations autochtones ont continué de subir un retard, sur le plan socio-économique, par rapport au reste de la population albertaine; et les organisations caritatives provinciales, pour leur part, dépendent de plus en plus des revenus des casinos des réserves. Dans cet article, nous analysons l’impact des cinq casinos autochtones provinciaux sur les communautés où ils sont implantés, ainsi que les sommes que les prétendus bénéficiaires de ces casinos perdent en fait chaque année à cause de la règle qui leur impose de verser 30 % des revenus au gouvernement.

Objectives. A large body of research suggests that tobacco use and gambling are highly co-morbid addictive behaviours. Since the early-2000s’, many jurisdictions in North America, Europe, and Australia have introduced smoke-free legislation for indoor public places in an effort to protect citizens from exposure to second-hand smoke. While this may be the primary purpose of smoking bans, an indirect effect of smoking restrictions may be a reduction in other addictive behaviours such as gambling. The goal of this paper is to provide a review of the empirical literature examining the effects of smoking bans on gambling revenues and intentions to gamble. Methods. The publications included in the review were gathered from several electronic databases and government sources. Studies which examined the effects of smokefree policies on gambling-related revenues or intentions to gamble as primary outcomes of interest were included. Results. Overall, the current research evidence is mixed. Some studies suggest that smoke-free policies have a negligible impact on gambling revenues; whereas others find a substantial decrease. Studies employing regression analyses which incorporate other economic variables and competitive forces more consistently find that smoking bans decrease gaming revenues. Studies with gambling intentions as the primary outcome variable indicate that non-smokers are more responsive than smokers to the introduction of smoke-free regulations. Conclusions. The extent to which smoke-free legislation influences gambling remains unclear. More research is needed, especially studies incorporating longitudinal designs, to better understand how individual gamblers who smoke are affected by these policies. Objectifs. Un grand nombre de recherche suggère que l'usage du tabac et les jeux de hasard et d'argent sont des comportements à haut risque de dépendance. Depuis le début des années 2000, plusieurs juridictions nord-américaines, européennes et australiennes ont mis en application une loi anti-tabac dans les lieux publics fermés dans le but de protéger les citoyens d'une exposition à la fumée secondaire. Bien que ce soit fort probablement la principale raison pour appliquer l'interdiction de fumer, un effet indirect pourrait être une diminution de la fréquence d'autres comportements à risque de dépendance comme les jeux de hasard et d'argent. Le but de cet article est de passer en revue les écrits empiriques ayant examiné les effets d'une interdiction de fumer sur les revenus obtenus par les jeux de hasard et d'argent et les intentions d'y jouer. Méthodes. Les publications inclues dans la recension des écrits ont été tirées de nombreuses bases de données électroniques et de sources gouvernementales. Les études inclues ont examiné les revenus liés au jeu ou les intentions de jouer comme principaux résultats d'intérêts et les effets des politiques anti-tabac sur ces résultats. Résultats. Dans l'ensemble, les données disponibles sont partagées. Certaines études suggèrent que les politiques anti-tabac ont un effet négligeable sur les revenus obtenus par les jeux de hasard et d'argent alors que d'autres rapportent une diminution considérable. Les études ayant utilisé des analyses de régression et qui ont contrôlé pour des facteurs économiques et des forces concurrentielles rapportent davantage que les interdictions de fumer diminuent les revenus. Les études avec comme principal résultat d'intérêt les intentions de jouer indiquent que les non-fumeurs sont plus sensibles que les fumeurs à l'introduction d'une loi anti-tabac. Conclusions: À quel point les lois anti-tabac influencent la pratique des jeux de hasard et d'argent demeure incertain. D'autres travaux de recherche sont requis, particulièrement des études longitudinales, pour mieux comprendre comment les fumeurs et fumeuses qui jouent à des jeux de hasard et d'argent sont affectés par ces lois.

En 2001, l’Alberta a mis en place une politique, la First Nations Gaming Policy, qui permet aux Autochtones de construire des casinos dans les réserves, mais qui stipule que 30 % des revenus du jeu réalisés par ces casinos doivent être versés au gouvernement qui les utilise ensuite à des fins caritatives dans la province. Durant les six années qui ont suivi l’ouverture du premier casino sur une réserve, presque toutes les nations autochtones ont continué de subir un retard, sur le plan socio-économique, par rapport au reste de la population albertaine; et les organisations caritatives provinciales, pour leur part, dépendent de plus en plus des revenus des casinos des réserves. Dans cet article, nous analysons l’impact des cinq casinos autochtones provinciaux sur les communautés où ils sont implantés, ainsi que les sommes que les prétendus bénéficiaires de ces casinos perdent en fait chaque année à cause de la règle qui leur impose de verser 30 % des revenus au gouvernement.

el-Guebaly, Nady A.1,2; Hodgins, D.1; Williams, R.3; Schopflocher, D.4; Smith, G.4; Casey, D.2 Author Information

This letter is in response to a specific recommendation of the Choosing Wisely campaign.[1][1] The following is a direct quote: > Don’t routinely prescribe antidepressants as firstline treatment for depression comorbid with an active alcohol use disorder without first considering the possibility

Introduction. To report on highlights of a longitudinal study of gamblers, the Alberta Leisure, Lifestyle, Lifecycle Project (LLLP) as well as comparisons with the Ontario Quinte Study. Method. Five LLL cohorts of gamblers (ages 13–15, 18–20, 23–25, 43–45, and 63–65) have been recruited through Random Digit Dialing (RDD) since February 2006. The cohorts are stratified by large and small urban centers and over-sampled for at-risk gamblers. Four data collections have occurred with initial telephone and face-to-face interviews, followed by web-based surveys. The selection of survey instruments reflected a biopsychosocial model of gambling. Results. Recruitment at Time 1: N = 1808 – Feb – Oct ′06; Time 2: N = 1495 – Nov ′07 – Jun ′08; Time 3: N = 1316 – Jul ′09 – Mar ′10; and Time 4: N = 1343 – Feb – Oct ′11. (Overall Retention Rate 75.1% – 20 deceased). In addition, N = 679 blood and saliva samples were collected. For comparison, the Quinte study had N = 4121 and a Retention Rate 90.4% over 5 time intervals. Highlights include. 1. an analysis of patterns of continuity/discontinuity of problem gambling over 5 years; 2. identification of variables best predicting future problem gambling, coordinated with the Quinte study. Conclusion. Longitudinal studies provide unique insights into the trajectory of gambling behaviors.