The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol. 23(2): Adverse childhood experiences and psychopathology in gambling disorder

The WAGER reviews a study of heterogeneity in childhood trauma among people with gambling disorder. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 23(1) - Gambling problems: The power of parenting

This week, the WAGER reviews a study by Nicki Dowling and colleagues that explores how gambling expectations might influence the relationship between parent and child gambling behaviors. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(14) - Homelessness or gambling problems: Which comes first?

People experiencing homelessness have significantly higher rates of sub-clinical and disordered gambling-related problems than people in the general population. Many report gambling as a cause for their homelessness. This week, as part of our Special Series on Addiction and Homelessness, the WAGER reviews a study by Steve Sharman and his colleagues that explores how gambling-related problems relate to homelessness. What is the research question? How are gambling-related problems related to negative life events, including homelessness? Do gambling-related problems tend to come before or in response to homelessness? What did the researchers do? The researchers recruited 72 participants from homeless shelters,... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(13) - Gambling disorder: Self-stigma and anticipation

How society views people with addiction can produce complex consequences. Anticipating stigmatization might lead a person to deny their illness, avoid treatment seeking, or prematurely end treatment services. Self-stigmatization, when a person begins to internalize the stigmas associated with their condition, might amplify these fears and lead people to reject social support and treatment. This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Nerilee Hing and Alex Russell that explores how the anticipation of stigma influences self-stigma among people with gambling-related problems. What is the research question? What aspects of public attitudes toward problem gambling contribute to public stigma? How do... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(12) - Mind or matter: Is gambling craving biologically based?

Cue reactivity refers to the craving a person with a substance use disorder feels when exposed to drug paraphernalia. Cue reactivity studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have led to the incentive sensitization theory of addiction. This theory suggests that cue reactivity activates the reward pathways of the brain and that these regions are more reactive in people with substance use disorders. This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Eve Limbrick-Oldfield and her colleagues that explores cue reactivity in people with Gambling Disorder. What is the research question? Does exposure to gambling-related images increase cue reactivity among people... Read more →

WAGER, Vol. 22(11) - Older adults and new casinos: Do gambling expectations relate to problems?

The opening of a new casino can have a significant impact on the local community’s economy and rate of gambling participation. Because of the potential for community-level changes, it is also important to consider possible individual-level changes, especially among at-risk groups such as older adults. This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Anthony Piscitelli and his colleagues which examined how older adults’ expectations for a new casino relate to their experience of gambling-related problems. What is the research question? Are older adults’ predictions regarding new gambling opportunities related to their experience of gambling-related problems? What did the researchers do?... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(10): Social casino games and gambling among Australian adolescents

Social casino games (SCGs) combine online gambling-style games (e.g. slots, poker) with social media (e.g. Facebook). SCGs are free to play and therefore are not technically considered gambling. However, many games feature “paywalls” that either require a user to spend real money to continue playing or offer extra content that users can purchase with cash. SCGs might appeal to young people and might be associated with other gambling activity and gambling-related problems. In a 2016 study, Daniel King and his colleagues investigated the relationship between paying to play SCGs and gambling among Australian adolescents. As part of this month’s Special... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(9): The chicken or the egg? Gambling fallacies and gambling problems

Gambling fallacies (i.e., mistaken beliefs about how gambling works, such as the belief that certain items may be “lucky”) predict and maintain gambling-related problems. Several treatment and prevention measures for gambling-related problems therefore focus on correcting gambling fallacies. However, most studies supporting the link between gambling fallacies and gambling-related problems have been cross-sectional, making it impossible to determine whether the gambling fallacies precede the gambling-related problems. Meanwhile, other research has identified additional factors that are strong predictors of gambling-related problems, including aspects of gambling involvement such as gambling frequency and number of games played. In a 2016 paper, Carrie Leonard... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(8): Game selection: Alexithymia and depression in strategic and non-strategic gamblers

Some people separate gamblers into strategic gamblers and non-strategic gamblers. Strategic gamblers prefer games where analysis and skill matter, such as poker, sports betting, and political markets. Non-strategic gamblers prefer games where strategy plays little to no role, such as scratch tickets, lotteries, and slot machines. In a recent study, Céline Bonnaire and her colleagues speculated that these preferences could create different pathways to gambling problems. Those with difficulty regulating their emotions might excessively play strategic games in order to seek excitement; on the other hand, those with depression might play non-strategic games excessively in order to avoid negative emotions.... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(7) – Mental health and sexual orientation among people with Gambling Disorder

Although people who identify as LGBTQ+ have higher rates of mental health and substance use problems, which are risk factors for Gambling Disorder, few studies have examined how mental health, gambling, and sexual/gender identity intersect. In 2006, Jon Grant and Marc Potenza conducted the first and only study to examine the relationship between mental health and sexual orientation among a sample of people seeking treatment for gambling problems. This week, as a part of our Special Series on Addiction among the LGBTQ+ Community, The WAGER reviews their study. What was the research question? What is the relationship between psychiatric comorbidity... Read more →