The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER Vol. 7(9) - Nature or Nurture

Last week’s WAGER discussed a study that reported on the association between genetic patterns and the likelihood that pathological gamblers had comorbid mental illness. Such genotype/phenotype relationships are interesting because they suggest that certain individuals might be more susceptible than others to developing problem gambling behavior. This week’s WAGER discusses a meta-analysis of published studies that attempts to identify a genetic predisposition for problem and pathological gambling (Walters, 2001). Walters identified 19 behavior genetic studies, both in and outside the U.S., by searching MEDLINE, PSYCINFO, and articles published in the Journal of Gambling Studies. Of these 19, 17 were family... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials - Why Disney Won't Take Bets From Vermont

Professor I. Nelson Rose, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA. The Los Angeles Times broke the story at the end of May, 2001: The Walt Disney Co. is backing a pay-to-play online gaming venture. Disney's partner, Skillgames, was supposed to officially launch its website, Skillgames.com, in 2001 "amid a multimillion-dollar promotional blitz." This particular project may have evaporated into the vaporweb. Www.skillgames.com no longer exists. But the question remains, is Disney gambling on gambling? Disney executives say, "No." A visit to the website in May 2001 showed they are probably right. I was able to register as a Skillgames.com user,... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 7(8) - Another Genetic Twist

Evidence for the existence of a genetic contribution to pathological gambling is mounting. In 1998 The WAGER reported on a study that showed a relationship between pathological gambling and dopamine-related genetic configurations. Similarly, in 1999 The WAGER reported on a study that suggested that pathological gamblers have significantly more heterogeneous dopamine receptor genotypes than non-pathological individuals. The current WAGER summarizes a report by Angela Ibanez and colleagues (Ibanez et al., 2001) that pathological gamblers with certain allele distributions of the Dopamine Receptor D2 (DRD2) might be at higher risk for psychiatric comorbidity. Ibanez et al. recruited 69 (47 men and... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 7(7) - Is it Worth the Wait?

Many researchers (e.g., Strayhorn, 2002) suggest that self-control problems are common to a number of mental disorders, including disordered gambling. A recent study (Petry, 2001) examined one aspect of self-control: whether pathological gamblers were more or less likely than non-pathological gamblers to pass up larger delayed rewards in favor of smaller immediate rewards. Petry (2001) enrolled 60 pathological gamblers1 and 26 non-pathological gamblers closely matched in financial concern, education, race, age, and gender to participate in the study. Non-pathological gamblers had to have no lifetime history of any substance abuse. Approximately half of the pathological gamblers had a lifetime history... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 7(6) - Responsible Gaming Down Under

The gambling industry often comes under fire for not accepting enough responsibility for current and future problems faced by pathological gamblers (Maniscalco, 2001). In response, many casinos have adopted what are called, “responsible gaming strategies.” Advertising a hotline for problem gamblers in the casino is an example of such a strategy. This week’s WAGER examines a study (Hing, 2001) that evaluated support for and implementation of responsible gaming strategies in gaming clubs in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Participants were 2131 staff members (i.e., club managers) of registered gaming clubs who responded to a mail-in survey. The questionnaire examined social... Read more →