The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol 4(26) - Probable Cause: Inside the Gambling Mind

You participate in two lotteries. The first gives you a 5% chance of winning $250, while the second gives you a 30% chance of winning the same amount. Which of the following options seems like a more significant change in the odds? A) Increase your chance of winning the first lottery from 5% to 10% B) Increase your chance of winning the second lottery from 30% to 35% Of 56 undergraduates presented with these choices, three quarters chose option A. However, when given the choice between increasing the probability of winning from 65% to 70% or 90% to 95%, the... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol 4(25) - Going for Broke: Bankruptcy Reform

Case 1: In addition to losing a substantial amount of her retirement fund, Mrs. X borrowed heavily from loan and credit card companies to finance the gambling trips she took with her husband. By June of 1990, her gambling and credit card debts totaled over $33,700. She filed for bankruptcy soon after. Case 2: Mr. Y's debt reduction plan involved transferring balances from credit cards with high rates of interest to those with low rates. However, court proceedings revealed that Mr. Y continued to use these cards to support his gambling and had no intention of repaying his creditors. The... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol 4(24) - Judgment Day for Casino Advertising

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down a longstanding ban on non-Indian casino advertising on television and radio. Overturning the ruling of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the justices found the ban to be in violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Furthermore, they held that the prohibition served no important public interest. The case before the court, Greater New Orleans Broadcasting Association, Inc., et al. v. United States et al., involved broadcasters in New Orleans who wished to air advertisements for casinos in Louisiana and Mississippi. Casino gambling is legal in both states.... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol 4(23) - Varsity Blues: Malaptive Behavior in Athletes

Acknowledging the potential influence that sports stars may have on youth, Stephen Weiss set out to determine the prevalence of risk behaviors among a sample of college athletes and non-athletes. He cites several well-publicized cases of professional athletes becoming involved in gambling, the risk activity that seems to interest Weiss the most. He drew his sample of 200 students from the University of Connecticut’s Stamford campus, and administered the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale. The MacAndrew instrument, the author explains, does not merely measure alcoholic behavior. Rather, it is a fair estimate of one’s propensity toward “maladaptive behavior.” The results are presented... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol 4(22) - Extraversion & Noradrenergy

Building on a previous study, Roy, DeJong, & Linnoila set out to examine arousal in a small sample of pathological gamblers (n=17). Rather than focusing solely on personological or biological measures of arousal, the authors looked at both and sought correlations. Under carefully controlled conditions, members of the sample were administered a blood draw, urinalysis, and a lumbar puncture to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (csf). Samples were then analyzed for levels of several indicators of noradrenergic function: norepinephrine and its major metabolites (NE), 3-methoxyl-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA). The noradrenergic system is responsible for moderating arousal, the physiologi­cal response to... Read more →