The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER 6(17) -The Gambling Attitude of South African University Students: A Cross-Continental Perspective

According to Peltzer and Thole (2000), political changes in South Africa over the last decade have increased gambling opportunities. However, little scientific data exists regarding attitudes toward gambling among South Africa's general population. Consequently, Peltzer and Thole (2000) examined gambling attitudes among Black students from one South African university. To study attitudes, Peltzer and Thole (2000) recruited 134 first- and second-year university students for their research. Gambling Attitude Scales (GAS; i.e., GAS-General, GAS-Casino, GAS-Horse Races and GAS-Lottery; Kassinove, 1998) were administered via questionnaire. All responses were scored on a six-point Likert-type scale (1=strongly agree and 6=strongly disagree) and subsequently added... Read more →

The WAGER 6(16) - Predicting Pathological Gambling Among an Addiction Treatment Population

Langenbucher, Bavly, Labouvie, Sanjuan, and Martin (2001) suggest that evidence about the psychological and behavioral predictors of pathological (level 3) gambling remain limited due to a diminutive and methodologically weak body of literature on the subject. As such, they studied a variety of predictors of pathological gambling using a sample drawn from eight substance use disorder (SUD) treatment centers in five Northeastern states. The gambling behavior of research participants (N=372) was measured using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS; Lesieur & Blume). Thirteen percent of the substance abuse treatment-seeking sample (n=49) met criteria for pathological gambling. Variables relating to premorbid... Read more →

The WAGER 6(15) - Brief Treatments for Disordered Gambling: What Works and for How Long?

While outcome research for disordered gambling is limited (e.g., Sylvain, Ladouceur, & Boisvert, 1997), a review of gambling treatment studies (Kassinove, 1996) suggests that treatment can have a positive effect on disordered gamblers. Research conducted by Hodgins, Currie, & el-Guebaly (2001) comparing two self-help treatment approaches posits similar results. After recruiting a sample population (N=102) that met criteria for disordered gambling according to the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS; Lesuier & Blume, 1987) and then obtaining a brief gambling history, Hodgins et al. (2001) divided the sample into three groups: Group 1 (n=35) was mailed a self-help workbook[1] (Hodgins &... Read more →

The WAGER 6(14) - Self-Help, Self-Exclusion

While some problem gamblers seek support and fellowship through Gambler’s Anonymous, others are adopting another self-help strategy to deal with gambling problems. According to Ladouceur, Jacques, Giroux, Ferland, and Leblond (2000), some casinos in Europe and Canada offer gamblers the choice of voluntarily being banned from the premises. A brief report by Ladouceur et al. (2000) examines individuals who excluded themselves from one Canadian casino. Study participants (n=220) excluded themselves from the casino premises for a period ranging from a minimum of six months to a maximum of five years (Ladouceur et al., 2000). The researchers administered a four-section questionnaire[1]... Read more →