ABSTRACT
Semistructured interviews were conducted with 7 persons who had significant involvements with video lottery terminal (VLT) gambling, and themes associated with different phases of the gambling experience were identified. The preinvolvement phase was characterized by lack of meaningful relationships, problematic relationships, and feelings of loss. Early involvement reflected attempts to "fill the void" and the casual innocence of initial VLT playing. The deepening involvement phase indicated themes of the language of relationship, for example, focused engagement, emotional highs and lows, and the escape and competition offered by gambling. Ending involvement themes included the emotional difficulty of quitting and strategies used to break the habit. Implications of these results for models of addiction and for the treatment of gambling problems are explored.
Subject(s)
Gambling/psychology , Video Games/adverse effects , Adult , Competitive Behavior , Defense Mechanisms , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , MotivationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To gather information that describes the extent of gambling and problem gambling in Prince Edward Island (PEI), to rigorously analyze the relation between gambling activities and problem gambling, to document cognitive and emotional correlates of problem gambling, and to identify an at-risk gambling group. METHOD: We selected a random, stratified sample (n = 809) to represent the adult population of PEI. We administered both the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and an early version of the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI) to participants who had gambled. RESULTS: The current rate of problem gambling was 3.1%. Problem gamblers were likely to be under age 30 years, to be single, and to report cognitive, emotional, and substance abuse correlates. Multiple-regression analysis identified a unique and substantial relation between problem gambling and video lottery terminal (VLT) use. We identified a group of at-risk gamblers (scoring 1 or 2 on the SOGS), comprising 14% of the sample. CONCLUSIONS: Gambling and problem gambling patterns in PEI resemble those in most other provinces. The relation found between problem gambling, VLT use, and cognitive, emotional, and substance use correlates should apply to the greater population as well.
