The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol. 1(51) - Perceptions of Gambling

For the past two years, staff at The Donwood Problem Gambling Program in Toronto, Canada, have been collecting gambling-related information* from substance abuse clients in all programs. The data collection instruments include 1) the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to measure lifetime gambling behavior, 2) an instrument that explores current (i.e., past year) gambling behavior, and, more recently, 3) six questions about Stages of Change**. The stage of change was identified by asking respon­dents to choose from the following six statements the one that best applied to them “right now:” a) I had a gambling problem more than six months... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 1(50) - Gambling Disorders in Louisiana

Seven forms of legalized gaming are available in Louisiana: pari-mutuel horse racing, charitable gaming, off-track betting, lottery, riverboat casinos, video poker, and land-based casinos. A recent study determined the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling among adults (over 21) and adolescents (defined in this study as ages 18-21) in Louisiana. A random sample of 1818 residents were interviewed by telephone using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to ascertain the prevalence of gambling disorders. Individuals with SOGS scores of 3 or 4 were considered “problem” gamblers, and those with scores of 5 or more were considered “pathological” gamblers. Adolescents were... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 1(49) - Treatment Issues: Explaining Variance in Problem Gambling

A host of factors influence the development of problem gambling as well as treatment outcome. The various “causes” of problem gambling are unequally changeable by treatment; “immutable variables” such as gender, socioeconomic status, education, and religion are less of a focus in treatment than are the “mutable variables” such as lottery play, money spent on gambling, alcohol consumption, and the illusion of control as an attitude about gambling. Clinicians may focus on the “mutable variables” to offer alternative associations and attitudes which the gambler can choose to adopt. Recent research attempted to quantify the variance in problem gambling; that is,... Read more →