The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER 6(9) - Problem Gambling and Community Service

Prevalence studies are a vital tool used to measure pathological (level 3) gambling among the general population. However, these studies often fail to capture information about vulnerable population segments such as prisoners, heavy gamblers who might not be available to participate in prevalence research, and homeless persons (Lesieur, 1994). Research conducted by Lepage, Ladouceur, and Jacques (2000) considered some of these subgroups; specifically, the prevalence of level 3 gambling among those who depend on community organizations for food, material, and/or financial assistance. Volunteer adult research participants (n=87) were recruited randomly from seven community organizations located throughout Quebec, Canada. Eighty-four percent... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials - Tribes Given Chance To Open Class II Casinos

Professor I. Nelson Rose, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA. NOTE: I have worked on behalf of tribes as a consultant and expert witness in the case I am about to discuss and related cases. I bring this to the reader's attention in the spirt of full disclosure. I have no financial stake in the outcome of these legal battles. However, because I have been working on the Indian side of these fights for so long, it is possible that I am dismissing the U.S. government's position too lightly. A federal court has given tribes the opportunity to set up... Read more →

The WAGER 6(8) - Time Is On The Lottery's Side

According to cnn.com, the Italian lottery company Lottomatica has funded a $322,263 restoration project of Michelangelo’s “Moses.” Created between 1514 and 1516, almost five hundred years of dirt will be dusted off “Moses” by the time the work of Antonio Forcellino, one of Italy's most respected restorers, is finished. What makes this story most interesting is that the restoration of “Moses” will be paid with monies raised by lotteries. This is not the first time lottery funds have been used for public projects. In fact, a history of lotteries as well as the emergent funds points to the worldwide popularity... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials - Casinos As Spies For The Federal Government

Professor I. Nelson Rose, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA. The following Notice has not been approved by any government official. (In fact, some of them would probably be unhappy to see this warning published.) WARNING TO ALL CASINO PATRONS: If you win big, are a high roller, or do anything that a casino or the government regards as suspicious, you will be reported to the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, commonly known as FinCEN. The information will be made available to the IRS and your local law enforcement agency. Expect your taxes to be audited. If you... Read more →

The WAGER 6(7) - Gambling From The Anthropological Angle

According to Rose (1986, 1995), the United States has experienced three eras of legalized gambling. The third era began in 1931 when Nevada again made casino gambling legal; it continues today (Rose, 1995). The second era took place during the Civil War and the expansion of the western frontier (Rose, 1995). Finally, the first era of legalized gambling, according to Rose (1995), swept across colonial America in the form of both government approved and private lotteries. Gambling for entertainment as well as practical purposes, however, existed even before Paul Revere and King Gorge III. In excerpts from her book Gambler... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Do Parents Have A Duty To Keep Their Kids Out Of Casinos?

Professor I. Nelson Rose, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA. When a gaming operator loses its license because parents let their underage children gamble, can the operator sue the parents? The Court of Appeal of Louisiana recently was faced with this question. As this is being written, the Court's opinion is not yet final. And, although the facts of the case are somewhat in dispute, the basic legal issues are clear. On January 11, 1994, Sandi and Toni Dixon, guardians of four-year-old Candace, brought the little one with them into the Chelsea Street Pub in the Pecanland Mall in Ouachita... Read more →

The WAGER 6(6) - GAMBLING ON THE INTERNET: CROSSING THE INTERSTATE WIRE

The casino industry has embraced online technology. Some observers predict that Internet gambling could become a $10 billon industry (Dwek, 1997) in the next five to ten years (Griffiths, 1999). Regulating internet gambling is challenging, however, as ambiguities in federal laws such as the Interstate Wire Act of 1960 inspire debate over the legality of Internet gambling in the United States and abroad. Proponents of Internet gambling argue that it is not subject to the Interstate Wire Act of 1960 because such gambling often takes place outside of the United States’ jurisdiction (Schwarz, 1999). Moreover, Internet gambling operators argue that... Read more →