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Gambling motivation and involvement: A review of social

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Introduction<br />

Objective<br />

This report <strong>review</strong>s the academic literature on <strong>social</strong>, economic <strong>and</strong> cultural research on<br />

gambling. The objective is to sum up what the literature says about the motives people<br />

have for gambling <strong>and</strong> the factors that influence their degree <strong>of</strong> <strong>involvement</strong> in gambling.<br />

Suggestions are made as to the usefulness <strong>of</strong> this knowledge for studies on problem<br />

gambling, which <strong>of</strong>ten rely on medical concepts <strong>of</strong> excessive gambling as pathology.<br />

This <strong>review</strong> – citing 434 works – may thus be helpful to scholars, health practitioners<br />

<strong>and</strong> policy makers who deal with problem gambling issues, <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> some interest also to<br />

those with a more general desire to learn more about why people gamble.<br />

Background<br />

This <strong>review</strong> <strong>of</strong> the literature was commissioned <strong>and</strong> financed by the Swedish<br />

National Institute <strong>of</strong> Public Health (SNIPH). SNIPH is a state authority that works<br />

toward implementing the overall aim <strong>of</strong> Swedish public health policy: to create<br />

<strong>social</strong> conditions that will ensure good health on equal terms, for the entire population.<br />

The Problem <strong>Gambling</strong> Unit at SNIPH develops knowledge-based preventive<br />

<strong>and</strong> interventive measures against problem gambling <strong>and</strong> its harmful consequences.<br />

As a part <strong>of</strong> that effort, the unit has financed most <strong>of</strong> the research into problem<br />

gambling that has been conducted in Sweden, such as the first national prevalence<br />

study conducted in 1998–1999 [1].<br />

In 2007, SNIPH initiated a series <strong>of</strong> studies, the Swedish Longitudinal <strong>Gambling</strong><br />

Study (SWELOGS), that take a public health perspective on gaming <strong>and</strong> problem<br />

gambling in Sweden. The overarching purpose is tw<strong>of</strong>old: to measure the extent <strong>of</strong><br />

problem gambling in the population at large, as well as in specific segments, <strong>and</strong><br />

to identify determinants that can be used to develop effective methods <strong>of</strong> prevention.<br />

As the name <strong>of</strong> the study suggests, the design is longitudinal, with a series <strong>of</strong><br />

measurements <strong>of</strong> problem gambling conducted at intervals. The first <strong>of</strong> the national<br />

prevalence studies will be complemented by in-depth follow-up personal interviews<br />

with those identified as problem gamblers, <strong>and</strong> a control group. The aim <strong>of</strong> the<br />

follow-up study is to more fully underst<strong>and</strong> the biological, psychological <strong>and</strong> sociocultural<br />

risk factors for developing gambling problems.<br />

In preparation for this extensive project, SNIPH has carried out or commissioned<br />

<strong>review</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the literature on gambling in a number <strong>of</strong> academic fields. The intent is<br />

to get a picture <strong>of</strong> the current state <strong>of</strong> knowledge, method <strong>and</strong> theory. The areas<br />

8 G A M B L I N G M O T I VAT I O N A N D I N V O LV E M E N T

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