The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, 3(26) - Olfactory Stimuli and Gaming Behavior

The marked effect that flavor and frangrance have on consumer culture has long been recognized by psychologists and marketing pundits alike. In 1997 alone, a New York Stock Exchange company grossed over 1.4 billion dollars providing odors and tastes for products we use daily (1). Alan R. Hirsch of the Smell & Taste Research Foundation, Ltd., designed and implemented a study to determine the effect(s) of odor on the spending habits of Las Vegas gamblers (2). Hirsch selected two distinct odors that previously had been determined by research to be pleasant. Each odor was then introduced into one of two... Read more →

The WAGER, 3(25) - Prevalence of Gambling in Toronto’s Chinese Community

Chinese Family Life Services of Metro Toronto conducted a telephone survey among Toronto’s Chinese population (1). The research question was “What is the extent of involvement in gambling among Chinese adults 18 or older in Greater Toronto?” The Chinese population in Greater Toronto is estimated to be 335,185 (2). A two-stage random sampling technique was used to select a pool of 2,234 people with “Chinese-sounding names” from the telephone book of which 1,244 were Chinese. Of these 1,244 eligible respondents, 727 completed the interview. The group that completed the interview was compared to the 1994 Canadian census for demographic variables... Read more →

The WAGER, 3(24) - EEG Correlates of Pathological Gambling

Are the brains of pathological gamblers different from the brains of non-pathological gamblers? One way to approach this question is to examine EEGs (electroencephalograms) in the brains of pathological gamblers when their brains are activated by performing visual or verbal tasks. Ten years ago, Goldstein & Carlton studied EEGs of 8 subjects with a history of pathological gambling and 8 matched non-gambler controls1. Evidence supports the idea that different hemispheres of the brain (the left and the right) are associated with different types of tasks and skills. These researchers hypothesized that pathological gamblers’ capacity to switch from one to the... Read more →

'The WAGER, 3(23) - Pharmacological Treatments: Naltrexone

If pathological gambling shares certain characteristics, such as impulsiveness, with other addictive disor­ders, it is reasonable to hypothesize that treatments for other adddictive disorders may benefit individuals who suffer from pathological gambling. Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, has been shown to be effective in treating alcohol dependence. Very little research has been conducted in the pharmacological treatment of pathological gamblers. No clinical trials have examined the treatment effect of naltrexone in reducing the cravings or the frequency of pathological gambling behavior. However, Crockford & el-Guebaly recently published a case report of a successful outcome from treating a pathological gambler with naltrexone... Read more →

The WAGER, 3(22) - Games Europeans Play

Countries around the world are evaluating regulatory strategies for dealing with problems associated with disordered gambling. For example, the countries of Europe are increasingly sharing resources; nevertheless, there is no unified legislation regarding gambling within the European Commission. To help develop comparative information on problem gambling treatment and prevention, the Centre for Addiction Care in Breda, the Nether­lands, conducted a comparative survey among treatment centers in Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Great Britain and the Netherlands (1). Out of 920 organizations that were considered candidates for participating in gambling treatment, 118 responded. The treatment centers surveyed reported the forms... Read more →