gambling term paper

How gambling affects the brain and who is most vulnerable to addiction

Once confined mostly to casinos concentrated in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, access to gambling has expanded dramatically, including among children

Vol. 54 No. 5 Print version: page 62

Personality
Video Games

It has never been easier to place a bet. Once confined mostly to casinos concentrated in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, gambling has expanded to include ready access to lotteries and online games and video games with gambling elements for adults and children.

Sports betting is now legal in 37 states plus Washington, DC, with six more considering legislation, according to American Gaming Association data from early 2023. People can gamble around the clock from anywhere and, increasingly, at many ages, including teenagers and even young children who are well below the legal age for gambling.

As access to gambling has expanded, psychologists and other experts have become concerned not just that more people will give it a try, but that more will develop gambling problems. And while it is still too soon to know what the long-term effects will be, evidence is growing to suggest that young people, especially boys and men, are among those particularly vulnerable to gambling addiction—the same demographic most often participating in the newest forms of gambling: sports betting and video game-based gambling.

People in their early 20s are the fastest-growing group of gamblers, according to recent research. And many kids are starting younger than that. Nearly two-thirds of adolescents, ages 12 to 18, said they had gambled or played gambling-like games in the previous year, according to a 2018 Canadian survey of more than 38,000 youth funded by the government of British Columbia ( Understanding the Odds , McCreary Centre Society, 2021 [PDF, 1.1MB] ). Starting young carries a relatively high burden of psychological distress and increased chances of developing problems.

Researchers are now working to refine their understanding of the psychological principles that underlie the drive to gamble and the neurological underpinnings of what happens in the brains of gamblers who struggle to stop. Counter to simplistic assumptions about the role that the neurotransmitter dopamine plays in addictions ( Nutt, D. J., et al., Nature Reviews Neuroscience , Vol. 16, No. 5, 2015 ), research is showing variations in the volume and activity of certain areas of the brain related to learning, stress management, and rewards processing that might contribute to problematic gambling.

Understanding what makes certain people vulnerable to developing problems could ultimately lead to better strategies for prevention and treatment, and also elucidate the evolving health impacts of gambling, the consequences of starting young, and even the role that the government should play in addressing those issues.

As it stands, the National Institutes of Health has agencies dedicated to problem alcohol use and drug use, but there are no official efforts aimed at problem gambling, and there are no federal regulations against advertisements for sports betting, said social worker Lia Nower, JD, PhD, director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey. That means kids can see ads, often featuring their sports heroes promoting gambling, at any time of day or night. “It’s the wild, wild west with regard to gambling,” Nower said.

Examining the risks

Most adults and adolescents in the United States have placed some type of bet, and most do it without problems. But a significant subset of people who start gambling go on to develop gambling disorder, defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) as a persistent, recurrent pattern of gambling that is associated with substantial distress or impairment.

Gambling problems, previously called pathological gambling, were considered an impulse control disorder until 2013, when the DSM-5 classified them as an addictive disorder. That made gambling addiction the first, and so far the only, defined behavioral addiction in the clinical section of DSM-5 (with some hints that video gaming disorder might ultimately follow, experts say). Like addictions to alcohol and drugs, gambling addictions are characterized by an increasing tolerance that requires more gambling as time goes on to feel satisfied. People with the disorder can also experience withdrawal that causes irritability when they try to quit.

Over the last 20 years or so, researchers have refined their understanding of how common gambling addictions are and who is most vulnerable. Among adults, the estimated proportion of people with a problem ranges from 0.4% to 2%, depending on the study and country. Rates rise for people with other addictions and conditions. About 4% of people being treated for substance use also have gambling disorder, as do nearly 7% of psychiatric inpatients and up to 7% of people with Parkinson’s disease. An estimated 96% of people with gambling problems have at least one other psychiatric disorder. Substance use disorders, impulse-control disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders are particularly common among people with gambling problems ( Potenza, M. N., et al., Nature Reviews Disease Primers , Vol. 5, No. 51, 2019 ).

Vulnerability is high in people with low incomes who have more to gain with a big win, added psychologist Shane Kraus, PhD, director of the Behavioral Addictions Lab at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Young people, especially boys and men, are another susceptible group. Up to 5% of adolescents and young adults who gamble develop a disorder. And men outnumber women at a ratio of about 2 to 1 among people with gambling addictions, although there are a growing number of women with the disorder.

Despite concerns, scientists have yet to document a consistent rise in the rates of gambling problems in recent years, said Jeffrey Derevensky, PhD, a psychologist and director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours at McGill University. Still, because more people now have access to gambling, evidence suggests that overall numbers of problems appear to have risen, Derevensky said. After Ohio legalized sports betting, for example, the number of daily calls to the state’s gambling helpline rose from 20 to 48, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Other states have reported similar trends.

As evidence accumulates, it is important to examine the risks without overreacting before the data are in, said Marc Potenza, PhD, MD, director of Yale University’s Center of Excellence in Gambling Research. When casinos enter a region, he said, the area may experience a transient bump in gambling problems followed by a return to normal. Given how quickly gambling is evolving with digital technologies, only time will tell what their impact will be. “We don’t want to be overly sensationalistic, but we do wish to be proactive in understanding and addressing possible consequences of legalized gambling expansion,” he said.

From gaming to gambling

After years of studying the psychological effects of video game violence, psychologist James Sauer, PhD, a senior lecturer at the University of Tasmania in Australia, took notice when Belgium became the first country to ban a feature called loot boxes in video games in 2018. Loot boxes are digital containers that players can buy for a small amount of money. Once purchased, the box might reveal a special skin or weapon that enhances a character’s looks or gives a player a competitive advantage. Or it might be worthless.

On a Skype call after the news broke, Sauer, a psychological scientist and coexecutive director of the International Media Psychology Laboratory, talked with his collaborator, psychological scientist Aaron Drummond, PhD, of Massey University in New Zealand, about Belgium’s decision. Because loot boxes represent a financial risk with an unknown reward, Belgian policymakers had categorized them as a form of gambling, and those policymakers were not the only ones. Countries and states that have passed or considered regulations on loot boxes include Australia, the Netherlands, and Hawaii. But those regulations were contentious.

Sauer and Drummond discussed the need for more science to guide the debate. “We were trying to think about how we might contribute something sensible to a discussion about whether these in-game reward mechanisms should or should not be viewed as a form of gambling,” Sauer said.

To fill the evidence gap, the researchers watched online videos of players opening loot boxes in 22 popular and recently released games that had been rated by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board as appropriate for people ages 17 and younger. Nearly half of the games met the definition for gambling, the researchers reported in 2018, including Madden NFL 18 , Assassin’s Creed Origins , FIFA 18 , and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ( Nature Human Behaviour , Vol. 2, 2018 ). Among the criteria for qualifying as gambling was an exchange of real money for valuable goods with an unknown outcome determined at least partly by chance. Purchased objects had value that gave an advantage in the game and sometimes could be sold or traded to others for real money.

Loot boxes tap into the same psychological principles that draw people to slot machines, Sauer said. They may deliver a big payoff, but payoffs come at random intervals. Unlike rewards given after every repetition of a behavior, this type of variable ratio reinforcement, or intermittent reinforcement, exploits a cognitive distortion that makes a player or gambler view each loss as one step closer to a win and can lead to very rapid adoption of a behavior that can then be hard to extinguish, Sauer said. Animals exhibit the same patterns. “They feel sure that the reward is coming, but they can’t know when, so they keep repeating the behavior,” he said. “They continue even as rewards become less and less frequent and even stop entirely.”

After establishing that loot boxes, which generate billions of dollars in revenue for video game companies, are often in fact a type of gambling, studies by Sauer’s group and others since then have shown that people who spend more on loot boxes are often at higher risk of developing gambling problems, and that the connection is strongest in adolescence. Scientists are now working to untangle the question of whether buying loot boxes can cause gambling addictions, and at least some evidence supports this kind of gateway idea.

In one survey of 1,102 adults in the United Kingdom, about 20% of gamblers said that loot boxes were their first introduction to gambling and that their experiences with the game rewards made them think that other forms of gambling could be fun, according to a 2022 study ( Spicer, S. G., et al., Addictive Behaviors , Vol. 131, No. 107327, 2022 ). More than 80% of them had started buying loot boxes before they were 18. More recently, Canadian researchers surveyed hundreds of young adult video gamers at two time points, 6 months apart. Among those who were not gamblers when the study started, dozens went on to gamble over the course of the study, they reported in 2023, suggesting that loot boxes had opened the gambling floodgates ( Brooks, G. A., & Clark, L., Computers in Human Behavior , Vol. 141, No. 107605, 2023 ).

But the relationship can also go the other way. People who already gambled, the Canadian researchers found, spent more on loot boxes. And in the U.K. research, about 20% of people who started out with other types of gambling migrated to loot boxes—the same proportion that went in the other direction. Figuring out how loot boxes and gambling behavior influence each other remains a work in progress. “We just don’t have the data yet to understand the long-term consequences,” Sauer said.

Also contentious is the question of how loot boxes affect mental health. Sauer’s group has found a link between spending on loot boxes and severe psychological distress ( Scientific Reports , Vol. 12, No. 16128, 2022 ), while other research has failed to find the same association. Because kids are increasingly being exposed to gambling, it is an important question to sort through. “Some researchers have argued,” Sauer said, “that if we don’t want kids engaging with bona fide gambling behaviors, maybe we want to be wary about kids engaging with these...gambling-like reward mechanisms.”

Early exposure

Loot boxes are not the only avenue to gambling for kids. Online games that simulate gambling without financial risk are often available to very young children, said Derevensky, who once watched a young girl play a slot machine game on a tablet installed in an airport waiting area. She was earning points, not real money, and loving it. “She’s winning, and she’s saying to her dad, ‘I can’t wait until I play it for real,’” he said. “She must’ve been no more than 6 years old.”

By adolescence, about 40% of people have played simulated gambling games, studies show. These games often involve more winning than their real-world equivalents, Derevensky said. And that playful introduction without financial stakes can spark an interest. Work by his group and others has shown that teens who play simulated gambling games for points are at higher risk of having gambling problems later on ( Hing, N., et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , Vol. 19, No. 17, 2022 ).

Seeing parents, siblings, or other members of the household gamble also normalizes gambling for kids, making them more likely to engage in gambling and other risky behaviors, including alcohol and drug use, Nower has found in her research ( Addictive Behaviors , Vol. 135, No. 107460, 2022 ). And the earlier kids get exposed to gambling through online games and other avenues, studies suggest, the more severe their gambling problems are likely to be later on ( Rahman, A. S., et al., Journal of Psychiatric Research , Vol. 46, No. 5, 2012 ).

“Kids as young as preschool are being bombarded with requests to buy things in video games,” Nower said. “A lot of kids move from betting on loot boxes in video games to playing social casino games that are free and then triage them to pay sites. You can’t really tell gambling from video gaming anymore. There’s so much overlap.”

The brain of a problem gambler

To understand why early exposure makes a difference, and why a subset of people develop gambling addictions, some scientists have been looking to the brain.

Studies have linked gambling disorders to variations in a variety of brain regions, particularly the striatum and prefrontal cortex, which are involved in reward processing, social and emotional problems, stress, and more. Some of these differences may be attributable to genetics. Twin studies and modeling work suggest that genes explain half or more of individual differences with gambling problems, specifically.

In people with gambling disorders as well as substance use disorders, a meta-analysis found that several studies showed less activity in the ventral striatum while anticipating monetary rewards ( Luijten, M., et al., JAMA Psychiatry , Vol. 74, No. 4, 2017 ). Along with other findings, those results suggest that this part of the brain contributes to impulsive behaviors for people with gambling problems.

Among other emerging insights, people with gambling problems also have smaller volumes in their amygdala and hippocampus, two regions related to emotional learning and stress regulation. Brain research might help explain why teenagers are particularly susceptible to gambling, Potenza said, including the observation that different parts of the brain mature at different rates in ways that predispose teenagers to gambling and other risk-taking behaviors. The prefrontal cortex, which regulates impulsivity and decision-making, is particularly late to develop, especially in boys.

Parsing out the details could lead to new treatments, Potenza said. For example, he and colleagues stimulated the prefrontal cortex of people with problematic gaming behavior and found improvements in their ability to regulate cravings and emotions ( European Neuropsychopharmacology , Vol. 36, 2020 ). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun approving neuromodulatory approaches for using targeted brain stimulation to treat psychiatric conditions, including addictions, that could eventually help people with gambling problems, Potenza said.

New strategies for treatment would be welcome, experts say, as gambling is a particularly tricky addiction to treat, in part because it is easy to hide. As many as 90% or more of people with gambling problems never seek help ( Bijker, R., et al., Addiction , Vol. 117, No. 12, 2022 ).

For now, cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common form of treatment for gambling addiction, Nower said, and identifying pathways can tailor therapy to particular needs. She has proposed three main pathways that can lead to gambling problems ( Addiction , Vol. 117, No. 7, 2022 ). For one group of people, habitual gambling pushes them to chase wins until they develop a problem. A second group comes from a history of trauma, abuse, or neglect, and gambling offers an escape from stress, depression, and anxiety. A third group may have antisocial or impulsive personalities with risk-taking behaviors.

Betting on the game

For young adults who have grown up with video games and online gambling games, sports betting is the newest frontier—for both gamblers and researchers interested in understanding the consequences of early exposure to gambling.

Now legal in many states, the activity has exploded in popularity. An estimated 50 million people were expected to bet some $16 billion on the Super Bowl this year, according to the American Gaming Association, more than double the amount wagered the year before. (Official numbers are not yet available and are usually an underestimate because of “off the books” betting, Nower said.) At its peak, according to news reports, the betting platform FanDuel reported taking 50,000 bets per minute. Billions more were expected to be bet on March Madness.

Sports bettors trend young: The fastest-growing group of sports gamblers are between 21 and 24 years old, according to an analysis by Nower’s group of data from New Jersey, which legalized sports gambling in 2018. Compared with other kinds of gambling, the in-game betting offered during sports games is highly dependent on impulsivity, Nower said. There are opportunities to place bets during the game on everything from who will win the coin toss to which quarterback will throw 100 yards first to how long the national anthem will last. And impulsivity is particularly common in younger people and among sports fans caught up in the emotion of a game, Nower said.

Researchers are still collecting data to see if sports betting is causing a true surge in gambling problems, said Kraus, who is working on a longitudinal study of sports bettors that is following about 4,000 people over a year to see who is most likely to go from betting on a game to having problems with gambling. His group just collected their third wave of data and will be writing up a paper on their results in the coming months. “We’re going to be riding on this issue for years,” he said.

Early signs from Nower’s research in New Jersey suggest that people who engage in sports betting appear to develop gambling problems at particularly high rates and are at higher risk for mental health and substance use problems compared with other kinds of gamblers. About 14% of sports bettors reported thoughts of suicide and 10% said they had made a suicide attempt, she and colleagues found in one New Jersey study.

“Risk-takers who like action can get really involved in sports wagering,” Nower said. “Because of gambling on mobile phones and tablets, there’s no real way to keep children from gambling on their parents’, friends’, or siblings’ accounts. And they’re being bombarded with all these advertisements. This is a recipe for problems among a lot of young people.”

It takes time for a gambling problem to develop, and simple steps can interrupt the progression for many people, Kraus said. That might include placing a limit on how much they are going to spend or setting an alarm to remind them how long they have been gambling.

Education before people try gambling would help, Derevensky said, and plenty of prevention programs exist, including interactive video games designed by his group. But kids do not often get access to them. Teachers are not monitoring lunch tables for gambling activity, Nower said. And administrators are not screening for problems. Derevensky recommends that parents talk with kids about loot boxes and other gambling games and explain the powerful psychological phenomena that make them appealing.

“We educate our kids in our school systems about alcohol use, drug use, drinking and driving, and unprotected sex,” Derevensky said. “It’s very difficult to find jurisdictions and school boards that have gambling prevention programs.”

Speaking of Psychology

Subscribe to APA’s audio podcast series highlighting some of the most important and relevant psychological research being conducted today.

Subscribe to Speaking of Psychology and download via:

Contact APA

Sports Betting Terms: Gambling 101 Glossary

Author: SI Betting Staff

There are many unique terms associated with sports wagering. Bookmark our glossary of betting terms and use it as a reference if you come across an unfamiliar word or phrase while placing bets.

Accumulator: A parlay bet in North America, accumulator wagers consist of two or more selections and each side must win (or push) to create a winning ticket.

Action: Any live wagering option or the total amount wagered on a specific event. Bookmakers accept action on all posted betting odds.

Across the board: Three horse racing bets that cover a horse to win, place and show.

Added game: Appear on betting boards after main lists are posted. They are common in college football and mainly appear due to public demand. An added game may also be a postponed match, like a rainout in baseball, from the previous day.

AET odds: After extra time (AET) odds are posted primarily on soccer matches when extra time is added at the end of regulation time due to in-game stoppages. AET odds are offered as live betting options.

Also ran: An athlete, horse, or greyhound that doesn’t finish in a paying position during a race.

Alternate lines : Odds that are higher or lower than the main posted line. Common with point spread and game total betting in basketball and football.

American odds: American odds are in a “big three” group that also includes fractional and decimal odds. American moneylines posted at (-110) are the same as 1.91 decimal odds and 10/11 fractional pricing. All three formats return a $100 profit on a winning $110 wager.

Ante-post: Futures odds on horse and greyhound races that are posted at least one day prior to a race. Ante-post odds are common on Triple Crown races like the Kentucky Derby.

Arbitrage: Often shortened to ARB, arbitrage wagering is a betting style where all possible outcomes of a single game are covered. ARB betting options are rare and arise when sportsbooks have varying opinions on the proper odds for a match.

Asian handicap: Most common in soccer, Asian handicap odds start at 0.25 goals and can go as high as 2.0 goals. These are two-way bets since a draw/tie option is not offered.

ATS : Against the spread odds (ATS) are designed to create equal action on both sides of a competition. Bettors may have a choice between Las Vegas as a -3.5 point ATS favorite at home versus Denver as a +3.5 point underdog on the road.

Australian Open: First of four women's and men's Grand Slam tennis tournaments that are played over two weeks in mid-January.

Backdoor cover: Occurs when a score helps bettors cover a spread bet but doesn’t affect the game winner. If Baltimore is up 35-21, as a -10 point favorite, Cleveland bettors earn a backdoor cover if the Browns score a late touchdown to make the final score 35-28 in favor of the Ravens.

Bad Beat: Players experience a bad beat when a wager is on the verge of winning but then becomes a losing ticket. A bad beat will often occur when points are scored late in a match. Players who bet on game totals, point spreads and money lines will experience a bad beat from time to time.

Bankroll : Money set aside, or deposited into an account, that is used for betting. A player’s bankroll increases with each winning wager and decreases with each losing bet.

Bankroll Management : Much like managing a personal bank account, bettors should practice proper bankroll management. Setting wagering limits, shopping for the best odds value, plus only wagering what one can afford to lose, are keys to properly managing a sports betting budget.

Beard: A bet runner who places wagers for professional bettors so they can conceal their identity from bookmakers.

Belmont Stakes: Third jewel in the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. Race day is the first or second Saturday in June (three weeks after the Preakness Stakes) at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Bet: Any wager involving money wagered at a sportsbook, casino, racebook or poker room.

Betting exchange: A middleman that isn’t a sportsbook or a bettor. An exchange posts bets with two sides and the betting option remains listed until both sides are bet on. Betting exchanges profit by taking a small commission (juice) from winning tickets.

Betting strategy: Various plans that bettors use to get a leg-up on bookmakers. Primary betting strategies should include proper bankroll management and performing extensive research prior to placing wagers.

Book: Short for a bookmaker or sportsbook that posts odds and accepts bets.

Bookie: Short for a bookmaker.

Bookmaker: A licensed individual who sets daily betting odds and accepts bets. Also known as a linemaker.

Breeders’ Cup: Grade I thoroughbred championship horse racing series that runs on the first Friday and Saturday in November. The series is run at a variety of race tracks. Santa Anita Park and Churchill Downs have hosted the most Breeders' Cup events.

Buy points : Bettors can buy points, using alternate point spreads and game totals, to gain a more favorable line. If a spread is set at +2.5 points a player can buy one point to move the line up to + 3.5 points. Juice attached to the odds increases with each point purchased.

Calder Cup: Awarded to the top-performing rookie player during the NHL regular season.

CFP: College Football Playoffs, which determine the NCAA football National Champion.

Chalk: Another term for favorite. Los Angeles is the chalk side if the Lakers are a -3 point favorite over the Houston Rockets .

Chalk bettor: A player that bets on favorites with the majority of their wagers

Circled game: Matches that have set betting maximums, which are capped at low amounts. Games are usually circled when bookmakers face unknowns such as player injuries, weather or rumors that surface prior to a match. Opening odds and prop options are often circled as well.

Closing line: The final betting odds posted prior to the start of a competition.

Co-favorite: Two or more sides with identical odds to win. Common with futures odds, bookmakers may post co-favorites to win the NBA Finals championship.

Combine: A series of fitness tests that help scouts from professional teams evaluate amateur athletes. The NFL Scouting Combine is a highly anticipated prelude to the annual NFL draft.

Commission: Another term for vigorish and juice, commission is the bookmakers take on any bet. It is also the amount a betting exchange takes from winning wagers.

Commissioner’s Trophy: Awarded annually to the MLB World Series champion.

Correct score: Bettors are offered a list of possible final scores on a match. In soccer, players can bet on a match ending as low as 0-0 or as high as 5-0 plus all scores in between. The most likely result is the favorite and the least likely result is the underdog.

Cover/Covering the spread : Any bet where a favorite wins and the final score exceeds the point spread. New England winning 32-21 over Miami means the Patriots would cover a -10 point spread. If the Pats win 29-21 they don’t cover the spread and bets are graded as losing wagers.

Decimal odds: Common in Europe, decimal odds are in a “big three” group that also includes fractional and American odds. A 1.91 decimal line equals -110 in American odds and 10/11 in fractional pricing. All three formats return a $100 profit on a winning $110 wager.

Dog: Short for underdog, a dog is perceived as the least likely side to win and is tagged with plus pricing. Atlanta would be a dog if the Braves moneyline is set at +125 and the Houston Astros are posted with -120 odds in baseball.

Double action: Also known as an “If bet” a double action bet automatically takes the stakes and/or winnings from a successful wager and places that amount on a second betting option.

Double bet: A betting amount that is double a bettor’s normal wager. Bettors often double their bet when they feel one side is vastly superior to another.

Double result: A single betting option that combines the score of a game at halftime and the score at the end of the same game.

Double-header: Two games that are played back-to-back on the same day. Most common in baseball, a double-header will often take place if a game from the previous day was rained out.

Draw: Any contest where the final score ends in a tie. In most instances, a draw is graded as a PUSH and original bet amounts are returned. A key exception is three-way lines that offer tie/draw as one of three betting options.

Drift: Betting odds that grow longer after the opening line is posted. A moneyline that moves from +220 to +225 to +230 is said to be drifting.

Each-way: Common in horse racing, each-way betting takes a single amount and splits it on a horse to finish first or second. Both bets pay if the horse finishes first while just one bet pays if the horse finishes second. The return on a first place win is always higher than the return on a second place win.

Edge: Gaining an advantage through extensive research or having insights that are not publicly known.

EPL: English Premier League is the top ranked football association in the United Kingdom.

Even money: Odds that return the exact amount of the original bet. A $100 bet on Fractional (1/1) American (+100) or Decimal (2.0) odds would return a $100 profit.

Exotic Bet: Betting options beyond point spreads, moneylines and game totals. Proposition bets, specials and parlays are the most common types of exotic bets.

Exposure: Amount of money a bettor or bookmaker stands to lose on any given wager.

Favorite: Any side priced with a negative number. San Francisco (-360) would be the moneyline favorite over Arizona (+280) in an NFL matchup.

FIFA World Cup: Played every four years, the World Cup championship is the most watched soccer tournament on the Planet. The World Cup is slated to be played in the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026.

Final Four: Most commonly refers to the last four teams remaining in the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. Two Final Four games are played prior to the National Championship game.

First half bet: A wager that focused on the result of the first half in sports like basketball, soccer and football. The most popular first half betting odds are spread, moneyline and game total options. A variety of team and player props are also offered as first half bets.

First/Last/Anytime Scorer: Offered on many sports, these are three pre-game prop betting options. In the NHL, all skaters will have odds on whether they score the first and/or last goal, plus whether they score at any point during a game.

Fixed odds : When a wager is placed, and a bookmaker accepts it, the line becomes fixed odds. If a bet is placed on Las Vegas at +3.5 odds and the line moves down to +3.0 prior to the game, players who purchased the Raiders at +3.5 retain the previously accepted fixed odds. Also a term for moneyline odds.

Fractional odds: Common in the UK, fractional odds are in a “big three” group that also includes Decimal and American odds. A fractional line of 10/11 equals -110 in American odds and 1.91 decimal pricing. They each return a $90.91 profit on a winning $100 bet.

French Open : Second of four women's and men's Grand Slam tennis tournaments that are played over two weeks in late May and early June.

Futures bet : A wager placed on an event that will take place in the near or distant future. Betting on the winner of the Super Bowl , Stanley Cup, NBA Finals and World Series are popular futures options. Futures are also offered in soccer, major horse races, plus golf and tennis tournaments.

Game total bet: Over/Under betting on how many goals/points/runs will be scored in a game. If a baseball game total is set at 7.5 runs, bettors need to decide if the combined total runs in that contest will be over or under eight runs.

Graded Bet: A wager that bookmakers officially mark as a winner, a loser, or a push, once a competition has ended. Winnings, or push refunds, are paid out after a bet has been graded.

Grand Salami: Bookmakers offer Over/Under odds on the total goals/runs/points scored in all of the games, from a specific league, on any given day. If there are seven games on the NFL schedule, the line may be set at 36.5 combined goals with -110 on both sides as the most common juice.

Half ball handicap: Soccer betting odds where 0.5 goals, plus or minus, is the point spread.

Half time bet : Wagers placed on the outcome of just the second half of a competition. Half time bets can be placed during intermission or as live wagers once the second half begins.

Handicap: Betting odds set by a bookmaker that are designed to level the playing field. New Orleans may have a -7.5 point handicap, before or during the game, when they play a perceived weaker Atlanta squad. If the Saints win by eight or more points - they cover the handicap and produce winning wagers.

Handicapper: A bettor who researches matchups and then places a bet. Also applies to tipsters who publish predictions on various sporting events.

Handle: Total amount of money a bookmaker accepts on a single game or event. The total handle bet on Super Bowl 54 in Nevada was $154.7 million. Bookmakers earned an $18.8 million profit when Kansas City completed a come-from-behind win over San Francisco.

Hart Trophy: Awarded to the most valuable player during the NHL regular season.

Hedge : Most common with parlay betting and as a risk management tool. Hedging a bet consists of betting on the opposite side of an original wager to set up a guaranteed return. A hedge bet may also be placed to reduce the initial risk on a potential losing wager.

Holding your own: A bettor who is on a streak where they aren’t winning or losing but rather just breaking even on a series of bets.

Home field advantage: The perceived benefit a team gains when playing in familiar settings at their home stadium.

Hook : A half point added to point spreads and game total odds. A hook guarantees a wager will not be graded as a push. One side will win and one side will lose.

If bet: A member of the parlay family, an If Bet consists of two or more wagers. On a two-team if bet, a player applies the stake and/or profit of a winning wager as a bet on a second game if the initial wager is successful.

In play betting: Wagers placed after an event after it has started. Also known as LIVE betting, bookmakers post multiple in-play betting options throughout most major sporting events.

Joint favorite: Two or more sides posted with the same betting odds on the same event.

Juice : Also known as vigorish, juice is set by bookmakers and is attached to spread and total betting options. If Minnesota -3.5 (-110) versus Green Bay +3.5 (-110) has $110K wagered on both sides, bookmakers earn $10K profit from the juice on the losing bets.

Kentucky Derby: First jewel in the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. Race day is the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Larry O'Brien Trophy: Awarded annually to the champion of the NBA Finals.

Laying points : Betting on a favorite. A wager on Dallas, as a -2.5 point favorite over the LA Rams, is laying 2.5 points. The Cowboys need to win by at least points to cash a winning ticket.

Layoff: Used by bookmakers and players to reduce risk on a certain market. Parlay bettors may have an option to place a layoff wager on both sides of the last open bet on a ticket to set up a guaranteed profit.

Limit: Bookmakers set various high and low wagering limits that vary by sport and betting options. As part of a proper bankroll management system, players should set and follow personal betting limits.

Line: Betting odds posted by a bookmaker.

Linemaker: Same as a bookmaker, a person or group that sets daily betting lines and prices.

Listed pitchers: Appear with daily baseball betting odds. If a listed pitcher doesn’t start the game, bets are usually voided and the original stakes are returned.

Live betting : Also known as in-play wagering, live betting is offered once a sporting event begins. Spreads, moneylines and totals are adjusted and re-posted as a match plays out. Prop options, like next goalscorer and correct final score, are also available.

Lock: Term often used by tipsters to tempt bettors into buying handicapping advice. Death and taxes are the only true locks in life.

Longshot: A perceived inferior side that is also known as an underdog. Longshot prices are always displayed as positive prices. The New York Jets , with a +9.5 point spread, would be a longshot against the New England Patriots .

March Madness: NCAA college basketball National Championship tournament held annually over three weeks from mid-March to early April.

Masters Tournament: First of four major Grand Slam golf tournaments. Held annually in the middle of April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

Middle : Cashing tickets on both sides of a betting option. Bettors have an opportunity to middle when a point spread moves up or down prior to a match.

MLB: Major League Baseball is the world’s top ranked baseball league and consists of teams that are based in the United States and Canada.

MLB Draft: Held every June, MLB teams select prospects from colleges, amateur baseball teams and high schools. The MLB draft is five rounds and most of the players selected will be assigned to minor league teams.

MLS: Major League Soccer is the top ranked soccer league in North America and consists of teams that are based in the United States and Canada.

Moneyline : A straight up bet, without any point spread, where bettors need to predict the outright winner. Favorites are posted with a negative (-185) odds while underdogs are listed with a positive (+165) price.

Multiple bets: Same as parlay, multiple bets are a single wager that consists of at least two sides on a single ticket. All sides must win (or push) to cash winning multiple bets.

· Double: Single parlay ticket with two sides.

· Treble: Single parlay ticket with three sides.

· Trixie: Three sides create three double bets and one treble bet.

· Patent: Three sides create three single bets, three double bets and one treble bet.

· Yankee: Four sides create one four-leg parlay, six double bets and four treble bets.

· Lucky 15: Four sides create four single bets, one four-leg parlay, six double bets and four treble bets.

· Lucky 31: Five sides create one five-leg parlay, five four-leg parlays, five single bets, ten double bets and ten treble bets.

MVP: Player honored as most valuable to their team during the regular season or playoffs. Tom Brady is a four-time Super Bowl MVP. Wagering on who will be named the Most Valuable Player is a popular futures betting option in professional sports.

Nap: Similar to a lock, a nap is a handicappers suggested best bet on a daily betting card.

NASCAR: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is the governing body of stock car racing.

NBA: National Basketball Association is the world’s top ranked basketball league and consists of teams that are based in the United States and Canada.

NBA Draft: Held every June, NBA teams select amateur players during a two round draft.

NCAA: Governing body for all USA college sports.

NFL : National Football League is the world’s top ranked gridiron football league and consists of teams that are based in the United States.

NFL Draft: A seven round event held every April where NFL teams select top college football prospects.

NHL : National Hockey League is the world’s top ranked hockey league and consists of teams that are based in the United States and Canada.

NHL Draft: Held every June, NHL teams select college players, plus pro European prospects, during a seven round draft.

No action: Betting options cancelled by a bookmaker are graded as no action. Original stakes are returned to bettors.

Novelty bets: Prop and special betting options that are wagers beyond standard moneyline, point spread and game total odds. Team and player propositions are the most common novelty bets.

Odds: Betting lines set by a bookmaker on a variety of events.

Odds formats: American (+100), Decimal (2.00) and Fractional (1/1) are the three main odds formats.

Oddsmaker: Same as a linemaker, a person or group that sets daily betting lines and prices.

Odds on favorite: One side that is viewed as far superior to the other and is priced with odds that offer very little value.

Odds shopping: Reviewing the lines at a variety of sportsbooks in order to find the best priced odds.

Off the board: Shortened to OTB, off the board games are displayed on betting boards but don’t have odds attached to them. An injury to a star player may cause bookmakers to pull odds off the board.

Outright betting: Predicting the overall winner of a tournament or playoff competition.

Over bet: Opposite of an Under bet on game total options. If the total on a Bengals versus Cardinals NFL match is set at 41.5 points, players who place over bets need the combined final score to be 42 points or more.

Over/Under: A number posted on how many runs/goals/points will be scored in a match. Bettors need to determine if the combined scores of both teams will go over or remain under the number. Also known as game total odds.

Parlay : A single bet, also known as an accumulator or multiple, that consists of two or more sides. Each side must win to produce a winning ticket. A selection that ends as “push” is voided from a parlay ticket.

Parlay banker: Forming the base of a parlay wager, a banker is a favorite side to which other sides are added. New York (-130) would be the banker with Detroit (+110) and Chicago (+120) on a parlay ticket.

Payout: The amount a bettor collects on a winning wager. When a wager is placed, the possible payout on a betting receipt usually includes the original stake.

PGA Championship : The second major Grand Slam golf tournament of a PGA season. Held in late May at various courses across the United States.

Pick ’em: A betting option where the odds are exactly the same on both sides. Atlanta (-110) vs Miami (-110) is a pick ’em wager.

Point spread : Odds posted on a match that are designed to level the playing field. Favorites are listed with a negative (-6.5) point spread while the underdog is given a ‘head start” with positive (+6.5) odds.

Post time: Scheduled start time of a race. Horses are “at the post” once all of them are loaded into the starting gate.

Power rankings: A ranking system that uses a variety of criteria to grade teams, in a specific league, from the best to worst.

Preakness Stakes: Second jewel in the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. Race day is two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, on the third Saturday in May, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

Price: Another term for betting odds and/or juice set by a bookmaker.

Proposition bet: Often shortened to prop bet, proposition bets are exotic or special wagers that are offered on most sporting events. NFL Super Bowl prop betting options number in the hundreds.

Proxy : A proxy is an individual, or a group of individuals, who place bets for other people. The term is most commonly associated with people who submit picks for non-Las Vegas residents that are involved in season-long sports pools like the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest.

Public money: Amount wagered by the general public on any betting option.

Puck line: Point spread pricing in hockey. Prior to a match, the favorite is normally posted at -1.5 goals while the underdog receives +1.5 goals.

Push: Any wager where the final result is a tie. If a basketball spread is 11 points and the final score is 120-109 spread bets on both teams are graded as a push and original stakes are returned.

Quarter Bet : Any wager placed prior to or during any quarter of a sporting event. Prior to an NBA game, Boston may be a -1.5 point favorite to win the first quarter against Philadelphia who would +1.5 underdogs. LIVE betting odds will change often as the first 12 minutes of the match play out.

Recreational Bettor: A player that bets infrequently or on major sporting events only. Rec player bets are counted as public money. Opposite of a sharp or professional bettor.

Rotation Number: A number assigned by bookmakers to every betting option on the board. Bettors use the rotation number when placing a bet, rather than team names, at betting windows at land based sportsbooks.

ROY: Honors the top first year player in most professional sports leagues. Wagering on which player will be named the Rookie of the Year (ROY) is a popular futures betting option.

Run Line: Point spread pricing in baseball. Prior to a game the favorite is normally posted at -1.5 runs and the underdog odds are listed at +1.5 runs. When live betting, depending on the score of the match, runs lines increase and/or decrease as a game progresses.

Second half bet: Any wager that focuses on the outcome of the second half of any competition. Bettors can place wagers before the second half begins or make live bets once the match resumes.

Selke Trophy: Awarded to a forward (not a defenseman or goaltender) with the best defensive skills during the NHL regular season.

Sell points: Bettors can sell points by using alternate point spreads and game totals. In football, if a player moves a line from -6.5 to -7.5 they have sold one point. Juice becomes more favorable for the bettor with each point sold.

Sharp: A professional sports gambler who uses vast resources to determine their wagers. Sharps look at the big picture and base their bets on knowledge. Pro bettors always shop around for the best prices and will bet on favorites or underdogs when they receive proper value.

Special: Similar to prop and exotic wagers, special bets are added to a competition beyond the more common moneyline, game total and spread betting options. Hundreds of specials are offered during major events like the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.

Spread betting: Taking or laying points when betting on a competition. Selecting Los Angeles at -7 point odds against New York (+7) is a spread bet. The Rams need to defeat the Giants by at least eight points to cash a winning ticket. Bettors lay the spread with favorites and take the spread with underdogs.

Sportsbook : A free standing shop, or in dedicated space at land based casinos, sportsbooks have become popular meeting spots for bettors and sports fans alike. Sportsbooks accept bets on US events, plus action from around the globe, and provide giant screens for bettors to watch the action play out.

Square: Another term for a novice or recreational player and the opposite of a sharp or professional bettor.

Stake: The amount of money a bettor risks when placing a bet. Original stakes are returned on all winning wagers and many bets that are graded as a push.

Staking method: Differs from bettor to bettor. Some players set maximum stake limits on each bet they place while others use a bankroll percentage as their stake.

Stanley Cup Trophy: Awarded annually to the top team in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

Steam : Odds that change quickly usually due to a large amount of betting action by sharp bettors or syndicates.

Straight bet: A single wager on moneyline, spread or game total betting options.

Syndicate: A group of bettors that pool funds and use their combined knowledge to bet on events. Syndicates will often wager large amounts to move a line and then place an even larger bet on the new price they helped create.

Taking points: A bet placed on an underdog side. Bettors who wager on Washington, with a +1.5 run line, are taking points on a baseball bet. Tickets cash is the Nationals win outright or lose by one run.

Teaser odds : Any line moved up or down by a bookmaker to entice (tease) bettors. Players can tease odds on a single game by using alternate lines. They can also place a parlay bet from a teaser card issued by a sportsbook.

Teaser Card: A daily list of all games, from one specific sport, where the odds are higher or lower than the prices posted on the main betting board. Teaser card bets require selecting two or more sides.

Ted Lindsay Award: Most valuable NHL player award as voted on by active hockey players only.

Ticket: A receipt issued by a bookmaker to confirm a wager has been accepted.

Tip: Betting advice offered by tipsters and handicappers that suggest the most likely outcome of an event. Tips should never be bet on blindly but can be helpful when used with a proper pregame research plan.

Tipster: A person or group that offers betting advice. Some tipsters offer free sports wagering advice while others charge a fee for their tips.

Triple Crown: Three horse races, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, which form the thoroughbred Triple Crown racing series.

The Open Championship: Fourth and final major Grand Slam golf tournament. Held annually in late July at a golf course in the United Kingdom. Also commonly known as The Open or the British Open .

Three-way odds : Wagering options that have three sides and include ties as a betting option.

Two-way odds: Wagering options that have two sides and do not include ties as a betting option.

Under: Opposite of Over on game total betting. If the total on a Lakers vs. Clippers match is set at 238, players who place under bets need the combined final score to be 237 points or less.

Underdog: Perceived to be the inferior side, underdogs are posted with a positive number. If Washington is listed with (+280) odds, in a match against Dallas, the Redskins are the underdog and must win outright to cash a winning NFL moneyline ticket.

U.S. Open (Golf): Third of four major Grand Slam golf tournaments that is played in the late June at various golf courses in the United States.

U.S. Open (Tennis): Fourth and final women's and men's Grand Slam tennis tournaments that are played over two weeks in late August and early September at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York.

Vezina Trophy: Awarded to the most valuable goaltender during the NHL regular season.

Vigorish: Another term for juice. Standard vigorish pricing is (-110) and bettors need to wager $110 to earn a $100 return.

Vince Lombardi Trophy: Awarded annually to the winner of the NFL Super Bowl.

Wager: Placing a bet on any event offered at a sportsbook, casino or racebook.

Westgate SuperContest : Established in 1988, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest is branded as the ultimate football handicapping challenge. Focused on the NFL regular season, there are three contests to choose from: the SuperContest, SuperContest Gold and SuperContest Reboot.

Wimbledon : Third of four women's and men's Grand Slam tennis tournaments that are played over two weeks in late June and/or early June. Wimbledon is played at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in London.

Wise Guy: Handicappers, sharps and professional bettors with vast knowledge of the sports they bet on.

Latest News

BetMGM Promotion on Rangers vs. Penguins for $150: Code SPORTSILLUSTRATED

NHL Predictions Today, 3/16: Rangers vs. Penguins, Flyers vs. Bruins + More

Caesars NC Bonus Code SINC Initiates $250 Bonus: North Carolina Launch

March Madness Best Bets for Friday: Big East Semifinals, SEC Quarterfinals

Virginia vs. NC State Prediction, Picks & Odds Today: ACC Tournament

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

Essay Database >
Essays Samples >
Essay Types >
Term Paper Example

Gambling Term Papers Samples For Students

4 samples of this type

If you're looking for a viable way to streamline writing a Term Paper about Gambling, WowEssays.com paper writing service just might be able to help you out.

For starters, you should browse our large directory of free samples that cover most various Gambling Term Paper topics and showcase the best academic writing practices. Once you feel that you've studied the major principles of content presentation and taken away actionable insights from these expertly written Term Paper samples, putting together your own academic work should go much smoother.

However, you might still find yourself in a circumstance when even using top-notch Gambling Term Papers doesn't allow you get the job done on time. In that case, you can contact our writers and ask them to craft a unique Gambling paper according to your custom specifications. Buy college research paper or essay now!

Good Term Paper About Reflective Personal Journal

Example of term paper on accountants and their involvement in financial markets, introduction, good term paper about the fourth amendment and mapp v. ohio.

Don't waste your time searching for a sample.

Get your term paper done by professional writers!

Just from $10/page

Prospect Theory Term Paper

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

Gambling Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Gambling Terms

Home / Blog / Gambling Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Gambling Terms

Welcome to the Betsquare gambling glossary. Here, you will find definitions and explanations of all the key terms associated with gambling online and at brick-and-mortar venues. From wilds and scatters in slot games to key poker terms like blinds and the pot, we offer concise definitions of all the terms you need to be aware of as you place your bets.

So, read through our gambling glossary below to find an explanation of the term that you’re looking for.

Active Player

An active player at an online casino is a person who has placed a qualifying wager. In poker games, the term specifically refers to a player at the table who has not folded. To be an active player, you must place at least the minimum bet to join the game, be it a slot, table game, or live dealer title.

Add-on

If you buy extra chips at the poker table, these are add-ons. It’s impossible to purchase add-ons in every poker game – if you go all in and lose in a poker tournament, for instance, you’re out, and there’s no way back in.

Aggregate Limit

In online gambling, an aggregate limit refers to the maximum payouts permitted during a specific game or tournament. Sometimes, the aggregate limit refers to how much the casino will pay for a specific game (keno, slots, table games, etc.), or it can refer to the amount that the casino pays out at a particular time (day, week, or month).

Aggregate Winnings

Aggregate winnings refer to the total amount of winnings you have received in a specific period. So, for instance, it could be the amount you have won in one gaming session, in one week or an entire month. It’s a handy way of referring to the amount of money you have won at a casino in a specific period.

All or Nothing

Not to be confused with double or nothing (a way of potentially recouping a lost bet), All or Nothing is a type of keno popular at online casinos. The name comes from the fact that there are two ways to win in this game: if all of your numbers are drawn and none are drawn.

All-in

Going “all in” is when you wager your remaining chips in a single poker hand. It’s a highly risky move, but it can result in a win if you end up having the best hand at the table. It’s risky because if you lose the hand, you lose your seat at the table and have no chips remaining for the rest of the poker game.

American Roulette

American Roulette is a popular table game that many online and brick-and-mortar casinos offer. There are 38 pockets on the American Roulette wheel – 18 black, 18 red, and two green. Including two green pockets distinguishes American Roulette from other variants, resulting in a slightly higher house edge than other roulette games.

The ante is a bet in poker that all players must make. Before the deal begins, all players must place an even number of chips (or amount of money) into the table as the ante. When the ante is met, the deal proceeds and each player at the table receives cards from the dealer.

Arcade Casino

An arcade casino is a term given to a place that consists exclusively of betting terminals like fruit machines and slot games. Arcade casinos don’t typically have table games and live dealers and only offer gambling machines. As a result, they are usually open 24/7.

The term “arm” is reserved for craps and dice games. It refers to a player with enough skill to throw the dice in a specific way, which alters the odds in the game. The “arm,” therefore, is someone who is potentially capable of throwing the dice in such a way as to generate a specific, high-paying outcome each time they roll.

Automat Club

An Automat Club is a brick-and-mortar casino with automatic games like slot machines. They do not have live dealer tables and only provide gambling machines. As such, they’re often free to enter and are open in many locations 24/7. You will find Automat Clubs in various countries around the world.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a popular table game played at most online and brick-and-mortar casinos. The objective of the game is to predict which hand – the banker or the player – will be closest to nine. You can also bet on the tie. As there are only three betting options and the game is fast-paced, it’s regarded as one of the best table games for beginners.

Balance

In gambling, balance refers to the amount of money you have available to place your bets. Your balance constantly changes as you place bets and land wins, and you may be up or down, depending on how long you’ve been playing. It’s helpful to keep tabs on your available balance so you know how much of your bankroll remains.

Banker

The banker is one of the hands in baccarat. You can bet on the banker’s hand to win, which offers a payout of 1:1.

Bankroll

When gambling, your bankroll is the amount of money that you have set aside to fund your bets. It’s important to consider your available bankroll carefully; you should only gamble what you can afford. Every player’s bankroll will likely differ, as there’s no right or wrong amount of money to gamble with.

Beef is a problem or dispute between a player and the casino. It might result from a dubious role of the dice or an issue with a hand that has been dealt. Beef can also arise from issues surrounding payout limits. The best way to resolve beef is to contact customer support online or in person at the casino.

Beginner’s Luck

Beginner’s luck is the term used when a person new to gambling lands a big win. For instance, it would be considered beginner’s luck if a player won a progressive jackpot the first time they spin the reels on a slot game or if they win a massive payout while playing video poker.

Bet / Wager

A bet is the amount of money that you pay to the casino to play a game. It is sometimes also known as a wager or a stake. To play games, you must place at least the minimum bet stipulated by the casino and not bet more than the maximum allowed. Note that every game has different bet limits you must check before playing.

Betting Limits

Betting limits are set by casinos to ensure that you can only bet specific amounts while playing games. They apply to every game at an online casino and help you pick games that are well-suited to your bankroll. For instance, a video slot game might have bet limits between $0.10 and $100.00, enabling you to place bets according to your available balance.

Black Book

In brick-and-mortar casinos, the term “black book” refers to the list of individuals who have been excluded or deemed unwelcome from a specific venue. In Las Vegas, there is an official List of Excluded Persons who are banned from entering any casino in Nevada.

Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the oldest and most popular table games. The game’s objective is to beat the dealer with a hand equal to or as close to 21 as possible. If you win with a standard hand, the payout is 1:1, while blackjack (10/J/Q/K + A) usually pays out 3:2. multiple blackjack variations are available, including American and European Blackjack.

Blinds

In poker, blinds are bets two players must make at the start of a betting round. There is a small blind and a big blind. The small blind is wagered to the left of the dealer, and the big blind is wagered to the left of the small blind. The value of each blind is determined at the start of the game and does not change throughout.

Bonus

A bonus is a type of promotion an online casino offers to attract new players. Many types of bonuses are available, but they include things like first deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, free spins on slots, reload bonuses, cashback bonuses, and subsequent deposit bonuses. They change often and come with strict terms and conditions.

Bonus Game

Many casino software developers include bonus games within slots and live dealer titles to excite their games. For instance, a bonus game in a slot could be a free spins round, where a specific symbol combination triggers ten free spins. Often, the game’s maximum payout is only available via the bonus game.

“Bug” is a colloquial term used in some parts of the world to refer to the Joker in a standard pack of 52 playing cards. This is the case in popular games like Gin Rummy and Go Fish. Sometimes, however, “bug” can also refer to a wild card in a poker hand, and its use generally depends on the country and the players at the table.

Burn Card

In many gambling games, the burn card is the top card in a deck that the dealer discards before the game begins. The dealer burns the top card to prevent cheating via card marking, and the burn card is not usually shown to the players at the table. Not all games require the top card to be burnt, but it is common at many tables.

When you go bust while playing a casino game, you have lost the hand. The term is commonly used in blackjack when you take one card too many and exceed 21. When you go bust, you cannot repurchase your way into the hand, resulting in a win for the dealer.

Buy in

In poker games, the buy-in refers to the up-front payment you must make to enter the tournament. The buy-in determines the total prize pool available and varies from game to game. For instance, you can find games with a buy-in of $10 or $1,000, depending on the casino and whether or not the game is for high rollers.

In poker, a call is when you agree to match the wager placed by another player in the form of a bet or raise. If you call, you must stake the required amount of money to stay in the game. If nobody calls the current bet level, the game ends and the player who has placed the highest bet wins the pot.

Card Counting

Card counting is a strategy that can be employed in specific card games like blackjack to determine who has the advantage when the hand is dealt. When done correctly, card counting enables the player to keep a count of high and low cards dealt to work out the likelihood of the next hand, increasing their stake when they are likely to have an advantage.

Carpet Joint

Carpet joint is a term coined in North America to refer to posh casinos with decorative carpets and plush surroundings. It is in stark contrast to sawdust joints, which are informal venues in rundown locations that offer shady gambling opportunities. In other words, carpet joint is an informal way of describing a brick-and-mortar casino.

Cashier

In brick-and-mortar casinos, the cashier works behind a cage on the casino floor, exchanging cash for chips and paying out winnings. At online casinos, the cashier is essentially the payment hub, and you can deposit and withdraw in numerous ways, including via debit card, e-wallet, or even cryptocurrency.

Casino Advantage

The casino’s advantage – more commonly known as house edge – indicates the mathematical advantage of the casino that is built into the game in question. This number is usually given as a percentage. So, if a game like blackjack has a casino advantage or house edge of 1%, it means that, for every $100 bet placed, the casino will keep $1 as the house edge.

Casino Hold’em Poker

One of the most popular poker variants played at online casinos is called Casino Hold’em Poker. It is a variant of Texas Hold’em and is played with a standard 52-pack of cards. The cards are dealt by a live dealer, and if you have a winning hand, you will be paid out 1:1 for a straight or less or up to 100:1 for a royal flush.

Chase

In gambling, the chase is the act of going after losses. Players who chase losses try to break even by placing subsequent bets. While it can sometimes work, it’s not a good approach as it encourages irresponsible gambling and can lead to much higher losses in the long run.

Chemin de Fer

Chemin de Fer is one of the most popular variants of baccarat played at online and brick-and-mortar casinos today. The term means railway in French, and the objective of the game is to predict which hand – the dealer’s or the player’s – is the closest to nine. Other popular variants include Punto Banco and Baccarat Banque.

Chips

In gambling, chips are tokens instead of hard currency at tables. When you enter a casino, you must head to the cashier’s desk to buy chips, which you can use to play games. Before you leave the casino, you can then exchange your chips for money if you have made winnings.

Fruit Machine

A fruit machine is a type of pokie game with fruits as the main symbols on the reels. Many fruit machines also have other symbols like bells, BARs, and lucky sevens. These games are popular on casino floors, but many online versions of fruit machines can be enjoyed on PCs and mobile devices.

If someone is described as “cold” in gambling, they’re on a losing streak. You may even hear someone say that they are on a cold streak. Equally, if a machine has not been paying out recently, it may also be described as cold. This is in stark contrast to someone or a machine that is hot.

Come Out

The come out is the first roll of the dice in the popular casino game craps. Before the come out roll, bets can only be placed on the pass line, but the game opens up as soon as the come out roll is thrown. At a brick-and-mortar casino, players around the table take it in turns to throw the come out roll.

Comps

Comps are bonuses or promotions offered by casinos. For high rollers and VIPs, comps can include things like free accommodation in high-end suites and free meals, drinks, and other complimentary items. At online casinos, comps tend to come in the form of free bets and cashback promotions.

Craps

Craps is a popular casino game that is played with two dice. The come out roll is the first roll of the dice, and players can place lots of different bets at the craps table, including pass line, don’t pass, come bet, field bets, and place bets. Though craps is best enjoyed at a brick-and-mortar casino, you can also play craps at online casinos.

Credit

In gambling, credit can mean various things. If your account is in credit, you have funds available to bet with. Also, it can mean betting with a credit card. Some jurisdictions worldwide have banned betting with credit cards, and Australia looks likely to follow suit soon due to problem gambling concerns.

Croupier

Croupier is another word for dealer, and it is the person responsible for a gambling table. Depending on the game, the croupier checks the bets, deals the cards, and pays out any winnings. Games with croupiers include blackjack and baccarat.

D’Alembert System

The D’Alembert System is a gambling strategy that can be employed at the roulette table. It instructs players how much to gamble when betting on even money bets like odd/even, black/red, or high/low. After a win, the D’Alembert System instructs you to increase your bet amount by one unit. When you lose, you should decrease your bet unit by one.

The dealer is the person responsible for a gambling table. A dealer is required in all table games, including poker, blackjack, and baccarat. The dealer accepts and checks all bets and deals the cards to the players at the table. Then, the dealer awards chips to winners and collects the losing chips for the casino.

In online gambling, making a deposit is the act of adding money to your betting account. It’s the equivalent of buying chips at a brick-and-mortar casino. You can deposit funds to your betting account in numerous ways, including via debit card, bank transfer, e-wallet, pre-paid card, or even via cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Litecoin.

Deuce is another way of saying the number two in poker and some other casino games. It’s not notable from a strategic perspective and is simply a nickname for the card. There’s a popular online casino game called Deuces Wild, a fun version of video poker.

Discard Tray

The discard tray is the place for discarded cards during a table game. After each betting round, the dealer will add discarded and used cards to the discard tray to keep the table tidy and in good working order. The discard tray is important because it prevents accidental or deliberate mixing of the cards.

Dolly

The dolly is a figure used in roulette to mark the winning number. When the wheel stops spinning, the dealer uses the dolly to indicate the number on the corresponding table. As such, it’s an important accessory at every roulette table.

Double Down

In several blackjack games, you can double down your bet. This means you can double your stake in exchange for just one more card. If you beat the dealer after doubling down, you will receive double the winnings. This can be a viable strategy when you accept specific cards in the initial deal, and many players double down when they receive a hand of ten or eleven in blackjack.

Drop Box

At land-based casinos, each dealer has access to a drop box at the table, where they place money and chips that players have gambled. The drop box is a security measure, and it also helps to keep things neat and tidy. It is also convenient for the dealer, who can easily add chips to the box at the end of every game without leaving the table.

eCOGRA is an international testing agency specialising in testing and inspecting online casino games, systems, and software. eCOGRA ensures that casino games at online betting sites are fair and transparent. If an online casino is eCOGRA certified, it means that the games have been independently tested and reviewed for fairness.

En Prison is a rule in roulette that can be applied to even money bets. It’s a form of insurance and enables you to recoup your stake if the outcome is zero. You can only benefit from the En Prison rule with an even-odds bet, and it is only available in selected roulette variations, such as French Roulette.

European Roulette

European Roulette is the most widely played variation of roulette, found at practically all online and land-based casinos. The roulette wheel has 37 pockets – 18 red, 18 black, and one green. Its main difference from American Roulette is that there is only one green pocket for zero, significantly reducing the house edge and making it a particularly popular variant.

Even Money Bet

As the name of the wager suggests, an even money bet is a wager with even odds. In other words, you stand to win the same amount of money you place. So, for instance, if you place a $10 even money bet, you will win $10 if the bet is successful, plus your stake back. Even money bets exist in many table games at casinos, including blackjack, baccarat, and roulette.

Expected Value

In gambling, expected value – sometimes called average expectation – is a casino or bookmaker’s calculation of how much they will win or lose based on the odds and payouts of a specific game. It’s not something that players need to worry about when gambling online or in a land-based casino.

Eye in the Sky

At land-based casinos, the eye in the sky refers to the people watching the gambling activity via the CCTV system. All gambling activity in land-based casinos is closely monitored, and all tables and slot games are watched around the clock. When you enter a land-based casino, you should be mindful that the eye in the sky is always watching!

Face cards in a deck are the jacks, queens, and kings. This is because these cards have a face on them; it’s as simple as that. In contrast, the 2-10 cards are simply referred to as number cards. In gambling games like blackjack, face cards are given a numerical value of 10.

Ficheur

The Ficheur is a device used in roulette to separate chips based on their colour. It is commonly used at American Roulette tables, making the croupier’s job easier. The croupier simply gathers the chips together and adds them to the Ficheur, separating them based on colour for easy distribution.

Fill is another way of saying full house, a winning poker hand. Some people also use the term to refer to the fifth card that is drawn to make the full house in poker, but it is not widely used.

Finale Schnaps

In French Roulette, Finale Schnaps is a command that can be issued to the dealer for bets placed on numbers 11, 22, and 33. It’s not commonly used in other variants of roulette, like American or European. Still, you might hear it from time to time, particularly if you play roulette at a land-based casino.

Fish is the name given to the person at a gambling table who is losing the most money. It’s commonly used in poker, but you may also spot a fish at a roulette, baccarat, or blackjack table. Though it’s unclear where the term originated, it is commonly used in North America, particularly in the professional poker scene.

In gambling, fixed odds refer to payouts that are fixed ahead of time and are pre-determined. Online casino scratch cards and slot games tend to offer fixed odds and payouts, and they use random number generators (RNGs) to determine the outcome of each bet. In contrast, sports bets don’t come with fixed odds, as it’s impossible to know the outcome in advance.

Flat Betting

Flat betting is the action of repeatedly betting the same amount while playing a casino game. For instance, betting $1 at the blackjack table 100 times in a row is an example of flat betting. The same is true if you bet $0.50 on a fruit machine for 100 spins. Many punters opt for flat betting as it’s an easy way to manage your bankroll and balance.

Flea is a derogatory term for a person who expects something for nothing while gambling. It might be a person who places tiny bets over a long period in the hope of receiving free food or drink at a casino. Fleas are not usually welcome in casinos as they take up space at tables that could be offered to high rollers or VIPs.

Flush

A flush is a poker hand that consists of five cards of the same suit, not sequentially. An example of a flush could be J+4+7+2+10 of hearts. In terms of ranking, a flush is a good poker hand, and it beats high card, one pair, two pair, three of a kind, and straight.

Four of a Kind

Four of a kind is one of the highest-ranking poker hands, and it is when you have four of the same card in the same hand. For instance, you could have a hand consisting of four tens or four jacks. In terms of ranking, four of a kind in poker beats high card, one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, and flush.

Free Spins (Extra Spins/Casino Spins)

Free spins are available at some online casinos. They might be offered as part of a promotion and are offered by the casino to play a specific slot game without requiring a stake. In this instance, they come with strict terms and wagering requirements. Free spins are also available within a slot game itself and can be unlocked with scatter symbols for the biggest potential payouts.

French Roulette

French Roulette is one of this popular casino game’s oldest and most-played variants. There are 37 numbered pockets – 18 red, 18 black, and one green. French Roulette also includes side options like La Partage and En Prison, unavailable in other popular game variants.

A full house is a high-ranking poker hand that consists of a hand with two cards of one rank and three cards of another. For instance, you might have two jacks and three sixes for a full house. In terms of ranking, a full house in poker beats high card, one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, and flush.

Going All-In

Going all in is the action of betting your entire balance at the poker table. It’s a risky strategy, but one that can pay off if you have a really strong hand. However, if you lose the hand after going all in, you have no choice but to leave the game – so be careful!

Grease

Grease is another term for a bribe in the world of gambling. It’s taken from the phrase “to grease a palm,” which is more broadly used worldwide to refer to bribes or corruption. Historically, some people would try to grease the dealers for favourable cards at land-based casinos, but it’s not a common practice at most reputable casinos today.

Hard Hand

In blackjack, a hard hand is a hand that doesn’t consist of an ace, or it can also be a hand when the ace is counted as one instead of eleven. For instance, if you are dealt a ten and an eight, you have a hard eighteen.

High Roller

A high roller is a person who places high-value bets at a casino. For example, it’s not uncommon for high rollers to bet tens of thousands of dollars in one session. Casinos tend to roll out the red carpet for high rollers and treat them as VIPs to encourage them to bet more. High rollers are offered perks, comps, and bonuses unavailable to regular bettors.

In blackjack, a hit is when you request an additional card from the dealer. You can hit as many times as you like, but you will go bust if your cards total more than 21. Working out when to hit and when to stand is crucial to any successful blackjack strategy.

The hold is the percentage of money bet by a gambler that the casino is expected to clear at the end of a betting session. Though the hold isn’t important to individual gamblers, it’s a helpful metric for casinos and is used to discover the most profitable games.

The hole card is the card that remains face down on the table in a casino game. As a result, nobody can see the value of the hole card. The dealer has a hole card at the start of every blackjack game. Hole cards also exist in poker, but individual players can look at them – they are only required to keep them hidden from other players at the table.

If a player is described as hot, it means they are on a winning streak. You might hear someone refer to their hot streak in which they have won a lot of money. Also, if a specific slot machine has been paying out lots of money, it can be described as hot. Being hot is in stark contrast to being cold at a casino, which refers to anyone on a losing streak.

House Edge

House edge is the advantage that a casino has in a specific game. The house edge is typically given as a percentage, usually between 1% and 10%. If a game has a house edge of 5%, 95% of the bets are paid out as winnings, while the casino retains 5%. It’s important to check a game’s house edge before placing a bet to see how much it typically pays out.

House Rules

House rules are localised rules that apply specifically to a casino or bookmaker. If you’re playing casino games online, you can find the house rules listed on the site, and it’s a good idea to read through them before placing your bets. House rules can include things like minimum and maximum stake limits, as well as wagering requirements and bonus terms and conditions.

Inside Bets

Inside bets are wagers that you can place on specific numbers or small groups of numbers at the roulette table. They are in contrast to outside bets. Inside bets have longer odds as they are less likely to occur. Therefore, if you’re keen to land big payouts while playing roulette, inside bets are a good option to consider.

Insurance

Insurance is a type of bet available in blackjack. If the dealer’s up card is an ace, you will be given the option to place an insurance bet. If you place the insurance bet and the dealer’s next card is a ten to make blackjack, you will receive a payout of 2:1.

Irregular Playing Patterns

Some online casinos describe bonus abuse as an irregular playing pattern. Practically every bonus an online casino offers comes with wagering requirements that must be satisfied. A casino may regard irregular playing patterns if a player bets the minimum amount possible to try and withdraw the bonus winnings and may suspend the associated account as a result.

IVT stands for Interactive Video Terminals. These are stand-alone terminals that house various online gambling games, including slots and video poker. You can find IVTs in various settings, including at land-based casinos, pubs, and other places where gambling is permitted.

Jackpot

A jackpot is a prize that can be won in a casino game. Jackpots can be fixed or progressive. A fixed jackpot is for a specific amount of money (for instance, $10,000), while a progressive jackpot is an amount that increases every time someone places a bet. Jackpots are available in slot machine games at land-based casinos and online betting sites.

Jacks or Better

Jacks or Better is a video poker game available at many casinos. The aim of the game is to create the best possible 5-card poker hand, and if you have a hand of jacks or better, you will receive a payout. Video poker is a simplified version of poker and enables anyone to play without any prior knowledge of how poker works.

Joker

A joker is included in most packs of playing cards. However, it is not commonly used in most casino card games and has no value. However, when a “wild” card is required, the joker is usually included. Popular casino games that use a joker include Joker Poker and Wild Jokers.

Juice

Juice is a colloquial term that describes the amount a bookmaker charges for taking a bet on any event. It’s typically used in sports betting and refers to the bookmaker’s commission for taking bets.

Junket

A junket is a special type of trip that casinos offer to VIP players and high rollers. In some instances, casinos offer to pay a player’s airfare, accommodation, food, and drink if they put down a deposit of at least $5,000 and commit to playing for a specific amount of time. Many casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City offer junkets.

Kalooki is a casino game that is more commonly known as Jamaican Rummy. It follows the basic format of rummy but can also include wild cards and other special features. It’s available at some online casinos and played at land-based casinos in the Caribbean.

Keno is a game of chance that is similar to the lottery. At the start of every game, you select specific numbers before the draw is made. If you select numbers that are drawn, you will earn a payout. Online casinos offer many keno variants with exciting designs and themes to make the game more engaging.

The kicker is the high card in a draw poker tournament that doesn’t make up the fill. In most instances, the kicker is an ace or a king.

Ladderman

When baccarat is played in a land-based casino, the Ladderman sits above the table, watching the game unfold. The Ladderman is there to ensure that nobody cheats, but they are also responsible for correcting the caller or the dealer if they make a mistake at the table.

Layout

Layout is the term given to the cloth that covers a gaming table. The layout for games like roulette and blackjack indicates the various betting options available to players and shows you where you need to place your chips to place your bets.

Live Dealer Games

Live dealer games are online casino titles hosted by a real-life dealer. They are streamed in high-definition from purpose-built studios, enabling bettors to enjoy immersive table games and game show titles from home. There are lots of different live dealer games, but they include games like blackjack, roulette, craps , and baccarat.

Loose is a term used to refer to how much a slot machine tends to pay out. For instance, if a machine is loose, it pays out often. Loose machines tend to have low volatility, meaning regular payouts characterise them.

Low Poker

Another term for low poker is Lowball, which is essentially a game of poker in reverse. As the name of the game suggests, the winner of low poker is the player with the lowest-ranking hand at the end of the game.

Martingale Betting System

The Martingale betting system is a strategy you can use to play roulette. When you follow this strategy, you are required to double your losing bets until you win. For the Martingale betting system to succeed, you need to have sufficient funds in your bankroll and be disciplined as you play.

Maximum Bet / Max Bet

The maximum bet is a limit imposed by casinos on how much you can wager each betting round. For instance, if the maximum bet at a blackjack table is capped at $100, this is the maximum amount you can bet each time you play.

Megalats Jackpot

In Megalats Jackpot slot games, the machines are wired together. If you win a jackpot with a token or coin, you can potentially win the accumulative winnings of all the other slot machines within the Megalats network. These games are also referred to as Minalits Jackpots.

Minilats Jackpot

See Megalats Jackpots.

Minimum Bet

The minimum bet is the stake you must place to play a casino game. At some casinos, this might be $0.10, $0.50, or $1.00. You can find the minimum bet listed before playing a game. Be mindful that the minimum bet will likely differ for each game you can play at a casino.

Multiplier

In slot games, multipliers can land on the game grid to increase the value of your payouts. For instance, if a multiplier of 10x lands with a winning combination that would ordinarily be worth 2x the bet, you would win 20x the bet. Playing games with multipliers is a great way to increase the value of your potential payouts at casinos.

Natural

A natural hand refers to a hand of two cards in specific casino games. For instance, in baccarat, a natural hand is one that totals eight or nine. In blackjack, a natural hand is one that totals 21.

Negative Expectation

Negative expectation in a casino game is when the house has a mathematical advantage over the players. If you repeatedly play a game with a negative expectation over time, you will end up losing out to the casino.

Non-Negotiable Chips

Non-negotiable chips are sometimes used as promotions or comps by casinos, and they are a type of chip that cannot be cashed out. You can only use non-negotiable chips to place bets. If you win with these chips, you can cash out your winning chips for real money before leaving the casino.

Non-Value Chip

Non-value chips are those without a value, as the name suggests. Instead of having a specific value written on the chip, its value is calculated by the amount of buy-in divided by the number of chips. This is standard practice in some poker games.

Number Pool

The number pool is the number you can pick from in a specific casino game. For example, the number pool in keno is 1-80, while the number pool in bingo is usually 1-75 or 1-90. If you pick numbers that are then drawn, you will receive a payout according to the game’s paytable.

Nut can mean a few things in the gambling industry. It is sometimes used to describe the cost of running a casino. However, nut can also refer to the amount of money or chips a person expects to win while playing a game.

Odds in gambling indicate how much you can win when you place a specific bet. The higher the odds, the less likely the outcome is to occur. Bookmakers tend to display odds in one of three ways – fractional (3/1), decimal (3.0), or in the American format (+300).

On Tilt

In a gambling context, tilt refers to the negative state of mind of a player. If a player is said to be on tilt at the poker table, it may cause them to make bad decisions, such as going all in to call a bluff or calling a much higher hand than they currently have.

Optimal Strategy

An optimal strategy in gambling is likely to deliver successful results. Gamblers may employ different strategies while playing specific games, so it’s sometimes better to refer to them as optimal strategies. Popular gambling strategies include things like the D’Alembert and Martingale.

Outside Bet

An outside bet is a type of wager you can place at the roulette table. They get their name because they exist on the outside of the roulette table. Outside bets include wagers on red/black, high/low, or odd/even.

Overlay

In sports betting, an overlay refers to particularly generous odds offered by a bookmaker, representing a good betting option for players. When used in the context of a gambling tournament, overlay refers to the amount of money the venue adds to the cash pool.

Pai Gow

Pai Gow is a Chinese gambling game that has grown in popularity recently, particularly at online casinos. The game’s objective is to create a five-card and two-card poker hand with the seven cards that are dealt. The cards are ranked in the same order as other poker games.

In some poker games, players may refer to face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) as paint. It’s a colloquial term popular at poker table games in different parts of the world.

In card games, a pair is when you receive two cards of the same denomination. For instance, if you are dealt two fives, you would have a pair of fives. In poker, you can win a hand with one pair or two pair, the latter outranking the former.

Paroli

The Paroli betting system is a progressive strategy that can be used to bet on a range of casino games. To follow the Paroli system, you must place a flat-rate bet until you win. Then, you double the wager and continue doubling it as you win. You return to the flat rate when you lose.

Pay Table

A pay table is included in all games at online casinos. It indicates how much you can win while playing the game. Most winning amounts in the pay table are given as multipliers of your stake, so you can easily calculate the amount you can potentially win when playing the game.

Payline / Pay Line

In slot games, a pay line is the pattern in which winning combinations must land for a payout. It’s common for slots to have at least three paylines, but some games offer more than 100,000 paylines. It’s always a good idea to check the number and pattern of paylines in a slot game before spinning the reels.

Payout Percentage

Every casino game has a payout percentage, commonly referred to as the game’s RTP (return to player). This number indicates how much, on average, the game pays out. So, if a game has a payout percentage of 95%, it means that for every $1.00 bet, the game will typically pay out $0.95.

Pigeon

In poker, a pigeon is someone at the table who others regard as a bad player. For instance, if there is a newbie at the table or someone who doesn’t grasp the basics of poker, they might be referred to as a pigeon by other players.

The pit is a specific area in a brick-and-mortar casino where the table games take place. In the pit, you will find blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat tables. The size of the pit will vary from casino to casino, but it’s usually the loudest and most fun place in any land-based casino.

The casino pit boss is responsible for overseeing and supervising all gambling activity at the tables. The pit boss has the right to remove players violating the casino’s rules and policies.

In poker games, the pot refers to the amount of money up for grabs in a hand. The pot grows throughout each hand, and chips are added to the pot every time someone calls or raises. The winner of the hand claims the pot, and the next hand is ready to be dealt.

Progressive Jackpot

Some casino games have a progressive jackpot , which continues increasing until it is won. Progressive jackpots are common in slot games and can offer thousands or even millions of dollars in prizes. To fund the jackpot, a small amount of every bet placed on the game is set to one side, reducing the game’s RTP.

Punto Banco

Punto Banco is the most popular variant of baccarat played at casinos. The game is very simple – you simply bet on which hand – the player’s or the dealer’s you think will be closest to nine. You can also bet on the tie. A winning hand in Punto Banco pays out 1:1.

A push bet occurs when a sports fixture ends in a tie. When this happens, the bettor receives their stake back, and the bet is closed. As a result, neither the bettor nor the bookmaker wins.

In poker, quads is another term for four of a kind. This hand is when you receive four of the same cards in poker. In terms of ranking, four of a kind is the third-best hand you can have, and it is only beaten by a straight flush or royal flush.

The rake is the commission the house (or the host) takes in a poker game. The rake tends to be anywhere between 2.5% and 10%, depending on the location of the game. You should be mindful of the rake before joining a poker game – the lower the rake, the better it is for players.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

Slot games at online casinos use random number generators to determine the outcome of each spin. This ensures that every bet delivers a random outcome, preventing casinos from fixing the outcome. Random number generator software is independently tested for fairness and transparency and is a crucial element of any online game.

In gambling, rank refers to the running order of the hands that players can win with. For instance, poker hands are ranked from high card to royal flush and ranked from worst to best, respectively. You should always check the hand rankings before playing a casino game, so you know how to win.

In slot games, reels are the columns that make up the game grid. Most slot games have at least three reels on which symbols can form. Paylines run across the game’s reels, and when winning combinations land in specific patterns, players earn a payout according to the paytable listed in the game’s description.

River

The river is the name given to the final community cards dealt in a poker game. Some players call the river fifth street, the fifth and last community card to be dealt in the game. The river is a key time of any poker game, as it often makes or breaks a poker hand.

See Random Number Generator.

Roulette

Roulette is one of the most popular table games played at online and land-based casinos. The game consists of two main elements – the wheel and the table. To begin the game, the dealer drops the ball onto the wheel, and the pocket where the ball rests results from the game. The table invites players to place various inside and outside bets on the game’s outcome.

Royal Flush

A royal flush is the highest-ranking hand in poker. It is when a player has a hand of 10-J-Q-K-A, all of the same suit. A royal flush cannot be beaten and is the best possible hand in all poker variants.

Sawdust Joint

A sawdust joint is a colloquial term used to describe low-end gambling houses or casinos. It is in contrast to a carpet joint, which is a term used to describe posh, high-end casinos .

Scatter Symbol

A scatter symbol is a special symbol that can land on the reels in slot games. Usually, landing at least three scatter symbols in view triggers access to the bonus round in the game, which might offer free spins or multipliers to players.

Session

A gambling session is the period a person spends playing casino games. Some players use responsible gambling tools to limit the length of their sessions, while others play until they win or lose a specific amount of money.

Shark

A shark (often referred to as a card shark) is someone who makes money at a casino by cheating. Sharks use various tactics to deceive other players and cheat to win. If you’re accused of being a card shark, you won’t be invited back to play the game!

Shiner

In gambling, a shiner is a small, reflective object that some players use to cheat while playing cards. The shiner can be angled in such a way as to show the player what cards their opponent has, providing them with an unfair advantage when placing bets.

The shoe is a device used at land-based casinos to hold multiple decks of cards. At the start of every betting round, the dealer receives cards from the shoe before dealing them to players.

In poker, a showdown occurs when more than one player remains in the game after the final betting round. In the showdown, both players must reveal their hands, and the player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot.

Sic Bo is an ancient Chinese gambling game played with three dice. The objective of the game is to predict the total number of the rolls of each dice. Sic Bo is popular at online casinos and land-based casinos in Asia.

Slot Machine

Slot machines are popular casino games played online and land-based casinos. Slot machines are games of chance and offer payouts when specific patterns of symbols land on the game grid. Slots come in various forms and designs, offering unique themes, vibrant colours, and many ways to win.

Snake eyes is the term given when two ones (1 + 1) are rolled in craps. You can even place a snake eyes proposition bet at the craps table if you think this roll will occur.

In blackjack, a soft hand is a hand that consists of an ace that can be used as one or eleven. For instance, if you receive a 6 + A, the hand could be worth 7 or 17, depending on your blackjack strategy.

Split

In blackjack, you can split your hand when you receive a pair. To do this, you need to place a matching bet, and you can then play with two hands. Splitting can be an effective element of a successful blackjack betting strategy.

Standing in blackjack means you do not wish to receive any more cards. If you stand, you are happy with your hand, and the dealer will reveal their cards. If you beat the dealer with the hand that you have, you will then receive a payout.

Straight Flush

A straight flush is a high-ranking poker hand comprising five cards of sequential rank and the same suit. For instance, 6+7+8+9+10 of hearts is a straight flush in poker. The only hand in poker that beats a straight flush is a royal flush.

Surrender

Surrender is a rule that exists in some blackjack variants. Where available, the player can surrender 50% of their bet if they’re not happy with their original deal, skipping to the next betting round in the process. It’s a handy way to cut your losses when you’re dealt a bad hand in blackjack.

Symbols

In slot games, symbols can land on the game grid to form winning combinations. Each symbol has its value, displayed in the game’s paytable. You will receive a payout when you land a specific number of symbols on one of the game’s paylines.

Tapping Out

In gambling, tapping out is when a player loses their entire bankroll. If a player taps out, they must stop playing or visit the casino cage to buy more chips. If a player taps out while playing online, they must make another deposit to continue betting.

Three-of-a-Kind

Three-of-a-kind is a poker hand that contains three cards of the same rank, such as three sevens, three aces, or three tens. Though not one of the best poker hands, three-of-a-kind beats a high card, pair, or two-pair.

Tight

If a poker player is considered tight, they play fewer hands than other players. Also, if a slot machine is referred to as tight, it doesn’t pay out often and is best avoided.

In casino gambling, a toke is a tip given to a dealer. The phrase is short for a token of appreciation and originated on casino floors in the United States. If you land a win at a casino table, offering the dealer a toke is customary.

Tronc

A tronc is a box in which players can place tokes (tips) for dealers in land-based casinos. At most casinos, the proceeds from a tronc are split evenly between dealers and may also be given to waiting staff, bartenders, and kitchen staff.

In betting, true odds represent the statistical probability of any outcome in an event. They are in contrast to implied odds, which represent the probability of a result based on the bookmaker’s opinion.

UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the regulatory body for casinos and bookmakers in the United Kingdom. The UKGC is widely regarded as one of the strictest regulatory bodies in the world and was established as a result of the UK Gambling Act (2005).

Underlay

An underlay is where the odds seem too low to offer good value, meaning they favour the bookmaker rather than the bettor. In this instance, looking elsewhere for odds before placing a bet is better.

Video Slots

Video slots are online casino games with various forms of media to offer a compelling and engaging gaming experience. They tend to have better graphics and more intuitive gameplay than classic or conventional slots and are extremely popular with online gamblers.

Video Poker

Video poker is a casino game that combines elements of poker and slots. Available on terminals in land-based and online casinos, video poker aims to earn a payout by forming a ranking poker hand. Many video poker variations exist, including Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild.

Vigorish

Vigorish (vig) is the fee a bookmaker charges to place a bet. Depending on your location, it is also known as the juice, cut, or margin.

In the gambling industry, a VIP spends lots of money placing bets. As a result, casinos offer VIP programs to reward high rollers and encourage them to spend more money. VIP programs include comps, special bonuses, and various other offers.

A VLT (video lottery terminal) is a type of electronic gambling machine that can be found in bars, restaurants, and clubs. The terminal may offer slots, video poker, and virtual sports games.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are attached to casino bonuses and promotions and indicate how much a player must bet before withdrawing any winnings from the bonus. For instance, if an offer has wagering requirements 10x and the bonus is worth $100, the player would have to wager $1,000 of their own money before processing a withdrawal.

Washing

Washing is an action practised by dealers at the start of a table game. Often, dealers rub their hands together to show players their hands are empty, but not every dealer does this.

Welcome Bonus

A welcome bonus is a promotion many online casinos and sportsbooks offer to encourage new customers to create an account. For instance, a new player might be offered a 100% deposit match on their first deposit up to $1,000. This provides the new customer with additional funds to bet with and is a popular way for gambling sites to attract new clients.

Whale

A whale is another term for a high roller and is someone who regularly places high-value bets at an online or brick-and-mortar casino. Whales are sometimes also referred to as cheetahs.

White meat is a term used by some gamblers to refer to the amount of profit they have made while gambling. In other words, it’s another way of saying net winnings.

Wild Card

In gambling, a wild card is a specific card that may be included in the deck with a unique role in the game. In most games that call for a wild card, the joker in the pack is used.

Wilds

Wilds are special symbols that appear in slot games. When they appear on the reels, they can substitute for all other symbols to help you form winning combinations. Wilds sometimes offer multipliers and may have several other unique features to increase the value of payouts.

Recommended for you

Casino Bonuses Guide

What is an Inclave Casino? | Betsquare

Poker Terms – Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

Betsquare is the undisputed number 1 in the field of online casinos and online gambling. With us, you'll find the online casino that suits you best.

Popular casino games

Online Pokies
Live casino
Editorial Team
Online Casino Rating Process
Blacklisted Online Casinos
Online Casino News
GambleAware Australia

Responsible Gaming

Casino Glossary A-Z: Essential Gambling Terms Explained

Embarking on a casino adventure can be thrilling, but it can also be daunting if you’re not familiar with the jargon. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned player, understanding casino terms is crucial to navigating the world of gambling with confidence. That is where our casino glossary comes in. Below is an article that serves as your comprehensive guide to casino terminology , presented in an easy-to-understand, alphabetical format.

Casino term glossary

Action: In the casino world, ‘action’ refers to the play at the casino tables. It’s the total money wagered by a player during their entire playing session. In sports betting, ‘action’ can mean a bet or wager, and it’s also a term used by dealers to indicate it’s a player’s turn.

Bankroll : Your bankroll is the total amount of money you’ve set aside for gambling activities. It’s important to manage your bankroll wisely to ensure you can play as long as you intend without overspending.

Chips : Chips are the currency of most casino games. They come in various colors and denominations and represent money wagered on games. Players exchange cash for chips at the casino’s cage.

Double Down : A popular term in blackjack, ‘double down’ means to double your initial bet in exchange for one additional card. It’s a move that can signify confidence in your hand and can lead to bigger wins.

Edge : Also known as the ‘house advantage,’ the edge is the mathematical percentage that gives the casino an advantage over players in the long run. Games with a lower house edge are generally more favorable to the player.

Flop : In games like Texas Hold’em poker , the ‘flop’ refers to the first three community cards that are dealt face-up on the table. These cards are crucial in shaping the players’ strategies.

George : A term used by casino employees to refer to a player who tips well. Being a ‘George’ can sometimes get you better service and recognition from casino staff.

High Roller : A ‘high roller’ is a player known for wagering large amounts of money. Casinos often provide high rollers with comps, such as free rooms or meals, to encourage their continued play.

Insurance Bet : In blackjack, an ‘insurance bet’ is a side bet that the dealer has blackjack. It’s offered when the dealer’s upcard is an ace, and it pays 2:1 if the dealer does indeed have blackjack.

Jackpot : The jackpot is the largest prize in a casino game, especially in slot machines. Progressive jackpots can grow to be particularly large, as they accumulate over time with each play.

Kicker : In poker, a ‘kicker’ is a card that is not part of a winning hand but can be used to break ties between similar hands. It’s essentially the highest remaining card outside of any pair or combination.

Lobby : The lobby is the main area in an online casino where players can choose from various games. It’s the virtual equivalent of a casino floor in a land-based establishment.

Multiplier : Slot machines often feature ‘multipliers,’ which are features that multiply your winnings by a predetermined figure. They can significantly increase the payout of a winning combination. Another casino glossary definition is that players clubs often have point multiplier days.

Natural : In blackjack, a ‘natural’ is another term for a two-card hand of 21 points, also known as blackjack. It’s the best hand in the game and typically pays 3:2.

Odds : Odds represent the likelihood of a particular outcome. They are used in gambling to determine the payout of winning bets. The better the odds, the higher the potential return.

Payout Percentage : Also known as ‘return to player’ or RTP, the payout percentage is the amount of money that a slot machine is programmed to pay back to players over time.

Quads : In poker, ‘quads’ refer to four of a kind, which is a hand that contains all four cards of one rank. It’s a very strong hand, beaten only by a straight flush and a royal flush.

Random Number Generator (RNG) : RNG is a computer program that ensures each spin on a slot machine is random and unpredictable. It’s crucial for maintaining the integrity of casino games.

Stiff : In casino slang, a ‘stiff’ is a player who doesn’t tip. It’s also used to describe a hard hand in blackjack that is not likely to win and is risky to hit.

Toke : A ‘toke’ is a tip given to a dealer or other casino employee. It’s a common practice to toke as a gesture of gratitude, especially after a big win.

Underplay : To ‘underplay’ means to bet less than the optimal amount, or to play a hand in a way that minimizes its potential. It’s often considered a conservative approach to gambling.

Vigorish (Vig) : The ‘vigorish’ is the commission that the casino takes on bets, particularly in games like baccarat and craps. It’s also known as the house’s cut or the rake in poker.

Whale : Similar to a high roller, a ‘whale’ is a gambler who bets huge amounts of money. Casinos go to great lengths to attract and keep whales because of the substantial revenue they can generate.

X-factor : While not a specific casino term, the ‘x-factor’ often refers to the unpredictable or unknown element that can affect the outcome of a game or a player’s experience.

Yield : In casino terms, ‘yield’ refers to the percentage of money bet by players that the casino expects to keep as profit on average. It’s similar to the house edge or RTP.

Zukes : A less common term, ‘zukes’ are tips or gratuities given to casino dealers by players, especially younger gamblers. It’s another way of saying ‘toke’ or ‘tip.’

This should help you understand slang when in a casino

In summary, this casino word glossary is your key to understanding the language of gambling. From ‘action’ to ‘zukes,’ these terms cover a wide range of concepts that you’ll encounter in both brick-and-mortar casinos and online gaming platforms. Keep this guide handy, and you’ll be speaking the language of the casino with ease. Whether you’re rolling the dice, spinning the slots, or facing off against the dealer in blackjack, knowing these terms will enhance your gaming experience and help you play with confidence. Remember to gamble responsibly and enjoy the thrill of the game!

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

Advanced Search
Journal List
Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection

An Overview of the Economics of Sports Gambling and an Introduction to the Symposium

Victor matheson.

College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, USA

Gambling in the Ancient World

Gambling likely predates recorded history. The casting of lots (from which we get the modern term “lottery”) is mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, most famously when Roman soldiers cast lots for the clothes of Jesus during his crucifixion. In Greek mythology, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus divided the heavens, the seas, and the underworld through a game of chance.

Organized sports also have a long history. The Ancient Olympic Games date back to 776 BCE and persisted until 394 AD. The Circus Maximum in Rome, the home of horse and chariot racing events as well as gladiatorial contests for over one thousand years, was originally constructed around 500 BCE, and the Colosseum in Rome began hosting sporting events including gladiator fights in 80 AD. Variations of the ball game Pitz were played in Mesoamerica for nearly 3000 years beginning as early as 1400 BCE (Matheson 2019 ).

Given the prevalence of both sporting contests and gambling across many ancient civilizations, it is natural to conclude that the combined activity of sports gambling also has a long history. And, indeed it is widely reported that gambling was a popular activity at the Olympics and other ancient Panhellenic events in Greece and at the racing and fighting contests in ancient Rome. Problems associated with gambling were also widely reported. As early as 388 BCE, the boxer Eupolus of Thessaly was known to have paid opponents to throw fights in the Olympics. Rampant gambling in Rome led Caesar Augustus (c. BCE 20) to limit the activity to only a week-long festival called “Saturnalia” celebrated around the time of the winter solstice, while Emperor Commodus (AD 192) turned the royal palace into a casino and bankrupted the Roman Empire along the way (Matheson et al. 2018 ).

Just as in the modern day, gambling was often looked down upon by societal leaders in antiquity. Horace (Ode III., 24; 23 BCE) wrote, “The young Roman is no longer devoted to the manly habits of riding and hunting; his skills seem to develop more in the games of chances forbidden by law.” Juvenal (Satire I, 87; 101 AD), well-known for coining the term “bread and circuses” wrote, “Never has the torrent of vice been to irresistible or the depths of avarice more absorbing, or the passion for gambling more intense. None approach nowadays the gambling table with the purse; they must carry their strongbox. What can we think of these profligates more ready to lose 100,000 than to give a tunic to a slave dying with cold.” (Matheson 2019 ).

Gambling in Renaissance and Pre-industrial Revolution Europe

Gambling in Europe persisted into the Middle Ages and Renaissance. For example, although the true origins of the famous columns in Venice’s Piazza San Marco are lost to the mysteries of time, at least one history suggests they were erected around 1127 by Nicholas Barattieri, who was rewarded for this task by the local government with an exclusive right to operate a gaming table between the columns, an activity otherwise officially prohibited in the Republic (Schiavon 2020 ).

However, without the large sporting events of the ancient world, gambling turned more toward to precursors of modern casino games. Indeed, the gambling that occurred in the “small houses” or “casini” of the city of Venice is the origin of the modern term “casino,” and in 1638 Il Ridotto, “the Private Room,” became the first public, legal casino in the region (Schwarz 2006 ).

Until the formation of professional sports leagues in the mid- to late nineteenth century, horse racing was the predominant type of sports gambling across Europe and North America. The Newmarket Racecourse near Cambridge, UK, was founded in 1636 although races at the location date to even earlier. The racetrack was frequented by King Charles II earning horse racing the title of “the Sport of Kings” (Black 1891 ). The first racetrack in North America was established on Long Island in 1665, and horse racing has persisted in the USA since that time.

Prior to the mid-1800s, bets in horseracing were handled by bookmakers who set odds on individual races. This carries risk for the bookmaker who may be forced to pay out large winning bets as well as the bettor who may find that the bookmaker lacks the funds to cover all payouts. This problem was solved in 1867 in Paris when Joseph Oller, who later went on to open the famous Parisian nightclub the Moulin Rouge, developed pari-mutuel betting.

Under pari-mutuel betting, the returns are based not on independent odds set by a bookmaker but instead are endogenously generated by the gamblers themselves based upon the number and size of the bets made on various race participants (Canymeres 1946 ). This betting system rapidly became wildly popular for racing in Europe and USA and remains the standard for horse racing today throughout the world.

Gambling Throughout US History

Gambling was a common activity throughout colonial and early American history. Lotteries funded activities such as the original European settlement at Jamestown, the operations of prestigious universities such as Harvard and Princeton, and construction of historic Faneuil Hall in Boston. Card rooms were not unusual at taverns and roadhouses across the country, and the activity moved west onto riverboats and into saloons as westward expansion occurred during the 1800s (Grote and Matheson 2017 ).

However, the late 1800s and early 1900 witnessed a widespread decline the legality of all types of gambling throughout the USA. In the sports realm, by 1900 betting on horse races was made illegal except in Kentucky and Maryland, states that to this day host two of the three Triple Crown events in American horseracing, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. States began to relegalize gambling on horse racing in the 1930s as a method of economic stimulus during the Great Depression. Total horse racing handle peaked in the 1970s and has generally declined since that time due to increased competition from alternative forms of gambling such as state lotteries and casinos (and, in fact, many racetracks nationwide, known as “racinos,” are permitted to offer alternative forms of gambling such as slot machines on their grounds (Nash 2009 )). In 2019, horse racing’s handle in the USA totaled $11.0 billion (Jockey Club 2020 ).

The birth of professional sports leagues in the USA also gave immediate rise to new betting opportunities, as well as problems associated with corruption. The oldest professional league in the USA, baseball’s National League, formed in 1876, and by 1877 the Louisville Grays ended the season mired in a betting scandal and ceased operations. Similarly in football, the Ohio League, a forerunner to the modern National Football League (NFL), began play in 1903, and by 1906, the league was embroiled in a match fixing scandal between the Canton Bulldogs and the Massillon Tigers (Grote and Matheson 2017 ).

During the early years of professional sports leagues in the USA, betting on games, although generally illegal like most gambling in the period, was common either through direct bets made with bookies or through “pool cards” allowing gamblers to bet on a slate of games. Nevada, which in 1931 became the first state to relegalize most forms of gambling, authorized sports gambling in 1949, but high tax rates on wagers prevented major casinos from running sports books until 1974. Following the elimination of a 10% tax on sports gambling revenues in the state, the sport betting handle rose dramatically from $825,767 in 1973 to $3,873,217 in 1974, to $26,170,328 in 1975 (Grote and Matheson 2017 ). By 2019, Nevada’s 192 sportsbooks took in $5.3 billion in wagers or roughly 2.7% of total gaming revenues for the state (Nevada Gaming Control Board 2019 ).

While Nevada remained the only state offering full sports books, Montana, Oregon, and Delaware all offered pool cards through their state lotteries beginning in the 1970s. Montana first offered legal pool cards in 1974. Delaware followed in 1976 (even winning a court case against the NFL for the right to offer sports gambling), but its games folded in the following year due to difficulties in adhering to the state’s statutory guidelines about lottery contributions to state coffers. The Oregon Lottery sold NFL pool cards from 1998 to 2007 and National Basketball Association (NBA) game tickets in 1998 and 1999 (although the NBA ticket did not include games featuring Portland’s local NBA team). Pressure from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eventually led the state to terminate its sports gambling offerings under the threat of losing the opportunity to host NCAA post-season men’s basketball tournament (March Madness) games (Grote and Matheson 2017 ).

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA), passed in 1992, prohibited states from legalizing sports gambling in any form including lotteries, casinos, and tribal casinos while grandfathering in the four states with existing sports gambling operations. In mid 2010s, the state of New Jersey, in an effort to revive its flagging casinos in Atlantic City, sued to overturn PAPSA, and in May 2018, the US Supreme Court declared PAPSA unconstitutional. While this ruling did not legalize sports gambling in any states, it did allow states the option to legalize sports gambling if they so choose. This symposium examines some of the economic issues facing the sports gambling industry as the American market opens up.

Issues Facing the New Sports Gambling Industry

The first and perhaps easiest question facing the industry is how quickly and how widely will sports gambling be adopted by states? Here it seems clear that sports gambling will follow the pattern seen in lottery and casino adoption, although almost certainly at a much faster pace. As noted by Garrett and Marsh ( 2002 ), once states began to legalize state lotteries, neighboring states began to feel pressure to legalize their own state games or otherwise lose consumer spending to lottery players crossing the border to buy tickets.

By 2020, this pressure had led all but 6 states to adopt lotteries after the first state lottery was reestablished in New Hampshire in 1964. Among the holdouts, Alaska and Hawaii are protected geographically from cross-border purchases, Nevada’s powerful gambling industry has successfully prevented the adoption of a state-sponsored competitor, and conservative religious cultures in Alabama, Mississippi, and Utah have stopped lotteries there. (Religious concerns have not stopped Mississippi from legalizing sports gambling, however. Perhaps God just really wants to put a few bucks down on Ole Miss to upset the Tide this year.)

With respect to sports gambling, New Jersey and Delaware legalized the activity immediately upon the Court’s decision in 2018, and many states followed suit. By the end of 2020, 20 states and the District of Columbia had legalized sports gambling, 6 had legalized sports gambling but were pending launch, and over 20 more states were considering legislation (Rodenberg 2020 ). It appears that sports gambling will soon be legal nearly nationwide.

The next big question facing the industry is assessing the potential size of the sports betting market. If sports wagering is restricted to in-person betting at existing casinos, the impact of nationwide legalization is likely to be quite modest. Extrapolating Nevada’s sport wagering data to the national casino market suggests that nationwide legalization might lead to as much as $20 billion in annual wagers and just under $1 billion in net casino revenues. While these figures may seem high, they pale in comparison to gambling figures in the UK where sports betting has been legal (although highly regulated) since 1960 and is widely available through over 8300 (as of March 2019) small, commercial betting shops spread throughout the country as well as through online betting sites.

In the most recent fiscal year prior to shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person betting shops in the UK generated $3.7 billion and online gambling generated another $2.8 billion in net gambling revenues (UK Gambling Commission 2020 ). This implies that UK bettors placed roughly $130 billion in wagers in 2019 or about $2000 per person in the country. If industry were to achieve a similar level of popularity in the US market, this would suggest over $600 billion in annual wagers and $32 billion in net sport gambling revenue. The $32 billion figure would be roughly twice the net gambling revenue generated by state lotteries across the country and slightly less than the $42 billion in net casino gaming revenue generated across the USA. Such revenue figures would likely only be possible with widespread adoption of legalized mobile sports gambling as well as within-game betting on individual plays as opposed to wagering solely on game outcomes.

Obviously, another major question facing the industry is the extent to which expanded access to sports gambling will bring in new players to the gambling industry overall or whether it will simply cannibalize existing gambling options such as state lotteries, horse racing, or casino gaming. The first paper in this symposium examines this topic by analyzing the determinants of sport gambling handle and its effects on other casino gaming at West Virginia casinos during roughly the first year of legalized sports betting in the state (Humpheys 2021). Brad Humphreys finds that the introduction of sports gambling seems to have significantly decreased overall state gaming tax revenues as gains from sport gambling taxes were far outweighed by decreases in tax revenues from video lottery terminals.

Of course, even if the problem of cannibalization is avoided by sports gambling attracting a new customer base, this is not without its own set of problems as sports wagering may introduce an entirely new population to the problems associated with pathological gambling and problem gaming (McGowan 2014 ). The second paper in this symposium examines health outcomes in Canada related to participation in gambling activities (Humphreys et al. 2021 ). Brad Humphreys, John Nyman, and Jane Ruseski show that recreational gambling has either no effect or even actually reduces the probability of having certain chronic health conditions and has a positive impact on life satisfaction suggesting the possibility that expanded sport gambling in the USA may not be associated with significant adverse health outcomes.

Legalized sports gambling is certain to bring about winners and losers. As noted above, depending on the level of cannibalization, other forms of gambling are likely to be losers such as horse racing, which is likely to continue its long-term decline in gambling handle (Nash 2009 ), and potentially casino gaming as identified by Humphreys ( 2021 ) in this symposium. On the other hand, sports book operators and mobile application developers are likely winners, so casinos themselves may either be either winners or losers in sports gambling legalization. It is interesting to note that established casinos have not been the only players to enter the online sports gambling market. In many states, the companies FanDuel and DraftKings, who prior to sports gambling legalization operated online fantasy football competitions of controversial legality, have already been able to leverage their fan bases in the online fantasy sports gaming communities into more traditional online sports gambling opportunities.

The sports leagues themselves may also be either winners or losers. Historically in the USA, leagues strongly opposed legal sports betting due to the potential for corruption. The history of sports in the USA is littered with betting scandals from the earliest days of the previously mentioned Louisville Grays and Canton Bulldogs to the infamous 1919 “Black Sox” World Series scandal to the 1948 NCAA basketball point-shaving scheme to the more recent actions of Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Pete Rose or NBA referee Tim Donaghy.

More recently, however, leagues have become more supportive of sports betting. In part, leagues acknowledge that legal betting markets make it easier for regulators to uncover suspicious betting behavior that could suggest corruption. More importantly, teams and leagues have also slowly recognized the potential for higher fan interest if fans have the opportunity to gamble on games. There is no doubt that the NCAA can attribute a significant portion of its 23-year, $19.6 billion television contract for March Madness on the popularity of “bracket pools,” and likewise the NFL understands the degree to which the explosion of fantasy football leagues has increased the popularity of its games. Humphreys et al. ( 2013 ) developed evidence of a significant correlation between betting and television viewership for regular season men’s NCAA basketball games.

Furthermore, the dramatic increase in professional athlete salaries over the past several decades in the USA has reduced worries of corruption. It is highly unlikely that star players in any major US league would jeopardize their massive earning potential as an athlete by accepting a bribe to alter a game outcome (and non-star players to whom a bribe could potentially be profitable are rarely in a position to influence games).

Those sports that remain at more significant risk to corruption are those with a high level of fan interest but low player salaries. This describes the working conditions of athletes prior to free-agency in the USA such as during the 1919 Black Sox scandal, referees like Tim Donaghy, and players in minor leagues or small national leagues as well as cricket players prior to the relatively recent formation of the Indian Premier League. It also describes the conditions of college athletes in the USA as the NCAA has successfully operated a cartel restricting the ability of even top college players from earning money as a player despite playing for teams generating millions or tens of millions of dollars annually for their host institutions. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the NCAA remains adamantly opposed to sport gambling in contrast to the major professional leagues in the USA.

Sports leagues are naturally eager to take steps to protect themselves against potential corruption in the wake of expanded gambling opportunities. The third paper in the symposium (Depken and Gandar 2021 ) explores the topic of integrity fees, payments by sports books to leagues, supposedly to pay for monitoring to ensure against match fixing. Craig Depken and John Gandar find evidence that integrity fees might influence sports books to establish lines that would minimize the chances for payouts in certain game situations.

Finally, legalized sports gambling will provide researchers with troves of new data to analyze one of the oldest questions in gambling economics: are sports betting markets efficient? The final paper in this symposium provides an excellent example of this type of research (Brymer et al. 2021 ). Rhett Brymer, Ryan M. Rodenberg, Huimiao Zheng, and Tim R. Holcomb examine whether referees in college football’s major conferences can be shown to have particular biases and if these biases are appropriately accounted for in the gambling markets. Studies like these will remain a fertile area for continued economic research.

As guest editor, I wish to thank Eastern Economic Journal co-editors Cynthia Bansak and Allan Zebedee, participants in the sports economics sessions at the 39th annual Eastern Economic Association Conference in New York City, February 2019, and numerous anonymous referees for their assistance in putting together this symposium. Most importantly, thanks go out to Eastern Economic Association Vice President Brad Humphreys who both proposed this symposium and collected and reviewed the participating papers. His name should really be on this guest editor’s introduction, but I guess he will have to settle to being co-author on two fine contributions within this symposium.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Black Robert. The Jockey Club and Its Founders: In Three Periods. London: Smith, Elder; 1891. [ Google Scholar ]
Brymer, Rhett, Ryan M. Rodenberg, Huimiao Zheng, and Tim R. Holcomb. 2021. College Football Referee Bias and Sports Betting Impact. Eastern Economic Journal. 10.1057/s41302-020-00180-6.
Canymeres, Ferran. 1946. Oller: L’Homme de la belle époque . Les Editions Universelles, Paris. Translated and summarized by the University of Auckland. https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/historydisplays/SecondFloor/Totalisators/ToteHistory/BookSummary.pdf . Accessed 1 November 2020.
Depken, Craig A. and John Gandar. 2021. Integrity Fees in Sports Betting Markets. Eastern Economic Journal . 10.1057/s41302-020-00179-z. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ]
Garrett Thomas A, Marsh Thomas L. The Revenue Impacts of Cross-Border Lottery Shopping in the Presence of Spatial Autocorrelation. Regional Science and Urban Economics. 2002; 32 (4):501–519. doi: 10.1016/S0166-0462(01)00089-8. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Grote Kent, Matheson Victor. Should Gambling Markets be Privatized? An Examination of State Lotteries in the United States. In: Rodríguez Plácido, Humphreys Brad, Simmons Robert., editors. Sports and Betting. London: Edward Elgar; 2017. pp. 21–37. [ Google Scholar ]
Humphreys, Brad R. 2021. Legalized Sports Betting, VLT Gambling, and State Gambling Revenues: Evidence from West Virginia. Eastern Economic Journal. 10.1057/s41302-020-00178-0. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ]
Humphreys, Brad R., John A. Nyman, and Jane E. Ruseski. 2021. The Effect of Recreational Gambling on Health and Well-Being. Eastern Economic Journal . 10.1057/s41302-020-00181-5.
Humphreys Brad R, Paul Rodney J, Weinbach Andrew P. Consumption Benefits and Gambling: Evidence from the NCAA Basketball Betting Market. Journal of Economic Psychology. 2013; 39 (2):376–386. doi: 10.1016/j.joep.2013.05.010. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Jockey Club. 2020. Pari-mutuel Handle . http://www.jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=FB&area=8 . Accessed 1 November 2020.
Matheson Victor. The Rise and Fall (and Rise and Fall) of the Summer Olympics as an Economic Driver. In: Wilson John, Pomfret Richard., editors. Historical Perspectives on Sports Economics: Lessons from the Field. London: Edward Elgar; 2019. pp. 52–66. [ Google Scholar ]
Matheson Victor, Schwab Daniel, Koval Patrick. Corruption in the Bidding, Construction, and Organization of Mega-Events: An Analysis of the Olympics and World Cup. In: Breuer Markus, Forrest David., editors. The Palgrave Handbook on the Economics of Manipulation in Professional Sports. New York: Palgrave McMillan; 2018. pp. 257–278. [ Google Scholar ]
McGowan Richard. The Dilemma that is Sports Gambling. Gaming Law Review and Economics. 2014; 18 (7):670–678. doi: 10.1089/glre.2014.1875. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Nash, Betty Joyce. 2009. Sport of Kings: Horse Racing in Maryland . https://www.richmondfed.org/-/media/richmondfedorg/publications/research/econ_focus/2009/spring/pdf/economic_history.pdf .
Nevada Gaming Control Board. 2019. Monthly Revenue Report, December 2019 . https://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=16490 .
Rodenberg, Ryan. 2020. United States of sports betting: An updated map of where every state stands , ESPN.com. https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/19740480/the-united-states-sports-betting-where-all-50-states-stand-legalization .
Schiavon, Alessia. 2020. Youth Committee of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO . https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-columns-of-san-marco-and-san-todaro-comitato-giovani-della-commissione-nazionale-italiana-per-l-unesco/2wIyGE9EqYPgIA?hl=en . Accessed 15 November 2020.
Schwartz David G. Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling. New York: Gotham; 2006. [ Google Scholar ]
UK Gambling Commission. 2020. Gambling Industry Statistics April 2015 to March 2019 . https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-industry-statistics.pdf .

Gambling Research Paper

This sample gambling research paper features: 4800 words (approx. 16 pages), an outline, and a bibliography with 44 sources. Browse other research paper examples for more inspiration. If you need a thorough research paper written according to all the academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help. This is how your paper can get an A! Feel free to contact our custom writing service for professional assistance. We offer high-quality assignments for reasonable rates.

Introduction

The development of sociological perspectives on gambling, current sociological perspectives on gambling, researching gambling in the 21st century, gambling and public policy, linkages with other sociological perspectives, conclusion: technology, change, and the future.

Bibliography

The size and scope of legalized gambling—to put aside its illegal manifestations for a moment—are simply mind-boggling. In America, for instance, more money is legally spent on gambling than is spent on movie tickets, theme parks, sports events, and music events combined (Morais 2002). Of course, sociologists have spent a substantial amount of productive research time examining the vast sociocultural impacts of Hollywood’s movies, and the field has developed an impressively broad literature on the sociology of leisure and sport. Furthermore, sociologists of popular culture have studied the sociological reach of a music culture that today encompasses everything from Mozart to MTV.

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code.

Meanwhile, the gambling industry now dwarfs these more familiar sociological subjects, at least in the economic sense. Gambling also constitutes a formidable political entity: As of this writing, 48 of the 50 U.S. states offer some form of legalized gambling (Utah and Hawaii stand as the lone holdouts). Just as strikingly, a somewhat similar proportion of international jurisdictions are also embracing legalized gambling (or considering doing so).

Of course, gambling activity has probably been around as long as human groups have been around (the phrase “rolling the bones” harkens back to an era when playing dice games meant exactly that). Nor are the activity’s intimate linkages with government new: In the United States, for instance, lotteries were legalized in the colonies by 1750. City governments, churches, jails, public utilities, road repair, and institutions of higher education, including many Ivy League schools, were financed by these lotteries (Rosecrance 1988).

However, at no time in human history have more types of gambling been more widely available to more human beings than they are today. In light of these observations, it would seem that sociologists everywhere might devote their tools to help advance our understanding of those of us who wager money on events whose outcomes are in doubt.

Some of the earliest writings on gambling were not specifically sociological, but they certainly invoked themes familiar to today’s sociologists. For instance, because gambling was seen as undermining the very foundations of the Protestant ethic, it threatened those who were passionately protective of the latter in predictable ways. In 1883, Anthony Comstock warned that “the promise of getting something for nothing, of making a fortune without the slow plodding of daily toil, is one of Satan’s most fascinating snares” (p. 56). For many, gambling’s insidiousness offended social and moral sensibilities more than other scourges of the day such as alcohol.

In his pioneering study, Edward Devereux (1949) lamented that sociologists had neglected the study of gambling, given its ubiquity and institutionalization. Devereux viewed gambling within the context of functionalist theory, suggesting that wagering behavior had societal implications beyond the individualistic and pathological approaches that seemed to dominate then—and indeed, continue to dominate studies of gambling behavior today. Given the sociological frameworks popular in his time, it was perhaps predictable that Devereux explored the act as a safety valve that relieved stress and strain generally emanating from the restraints and rationality of a capitalistic system. In addition, Devereux also felt that dominant values were reinforced with admonitions against gambling and other deviant behaviors (p. 946).

Of course, it was recognized that gambling can also be dysfunctional, as Bloch (1951) pointed out, creating problems for family, work, and personal life. Much of the early nonsociological work on gambling behavior focused on the dysfunctional effects that gambling has on both the gambler as well as those close to him or her. This perspective coalesced in the field of psychology into a vast literature exploring treatments for gambling pathologies. Even sociologists were not immune to this impulse: Herman’s (1967) study of racetrack betting used this more or less pathological framework for his analysis, as did Zola’s (1963) research on offtrack betting.

In the early days of the field, legalized gambling was rare, and illegal gambling was widespread. As such, many of the first studies of the gambling act tended to employ a more or less criminological framework to interpret these behaviors. For instance, Tec’s (1964) study of football betting in Sweden found that bettors were more likely to be employed, upwardly mobile, and motivated to achieve. They did not appear to be alienated or detached—contrary to what anomie theorists would predict. Other analysts presented evidence to support opportunity theory and anomie, demonstrating that those with available avenues of advancement and lower levels of status frustration were less likely to gamble (Li and Smith 1976). Studies by Light (1977) and Newman (1968) did not find that relative deprivation motivated gambling activity, particularly within the lower class. Instead, gambling was interpreted as a communal or shared activity with important cultural meanings. Downes et al. (1976) found that gambling was not peculiar to the lower class but was found across all categories of the social structure—that is, across racial, class, and occupational divides.

Not all studies of gambling focused on the financial “losers” who constitute the majority of gamblers. One interesting sociological research piece explored the familial, social, and professional changes confronted by lottery winners—a scenario that many of us have no doubt contemplated (Kaplan 1978). This was the first systematic study of gambling’s “winners”—all of whom had come away with a prize of one million dollars or more. In his work, Kaplan found that relationships transformed in significant and unforeseen ways, and that many winners found that they could not maintain their prior institutional or organizational affiliations.

Against this background, the sociologist Henry Lesieur’s work emerged as a pioneering contribution to our understanding of the ways in which social networks and communities affect gamblers’ lives. Lesieur (1977) sought sociological explanations for problem gambling in his groundbreaking study of the career of racetrack and sports bettors—a work that established him as a pioneer of this emerging area of sociological inquiry.

In fact, Lesieur’s work was so influential that despite his background as a sociologist, he was asked to play a central role in defining the American Psychiatric Association’s criteria for pathological gambling (see American Psychiatric Association 1994). Lesieur observed that many problem gamblers found themselves entangled in an effort to try to win back losses—or “chasing”—a characteristic that has since served as a central feature of the diagnostic literature (Lesieur and Custer 1984:149–50; American Psychiatric Association 1994). Later, Lesieur served as the founding editor of the first specialty journal in the field, the Journal of Gambling Behavior, later renamed the Journal of Gambling Studies. Today, he is widely recognized in mental health circles as one of the founding figures in the field of pathological gambling studies.

The sociologists Smith and Abt (1984) argued for a shift from concern with the problematic aspects of gambling to a focus on understanding the activity as “play.” In their view, gambling reinforces capitalistic and materialistic American values of self-reliance, risk taking, decision making, and skill enhancement. Furthermore, much like other games, gambling provides an outlet for socialization and cultural learning: From marbles to baseball card flipping, games of chance prepare children for games at a higher level and for participation in American life.

As Goffman (1967) noted before Smith and Abt, character is demonstrated through rituals—including gambling rituals. Thus, gambling might be seen as functional for social order by providing an escape from everyday life while reinforcing existing cultural norms (Smith and Abt 1984; Abt, Smith, and McGurrin 1985:64.)

Today, gambling has “normalized” and may be understood via lenses currently used to study other late-emerging capitalist industries. Reith (2003) points out that

the gambling industry itself is increasingly owned by a limited number of multinational corporations, concentrated in an oligopolistic market. It is organized in a similar way to other major industries, with market research and advertising strategies designed to identify and target niche groups . . . Modern consumers have a variety of products and experiences to choose from, and an ever-larger and more powerful industry to supply them. (Pp. 19–20)

This “new” gaming industry has attracted a growing number of professional observers, primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Most sociological perspectives have employed familiar tools of the field and applied them to our understanding of the spread of gambling. As the Australian sociologist Jan McMillen attests, gambling has not been exempt from trends commonly associated with the spread of globalization. McMillen (2003) points out that gambling has succumbed to

the homogenizing forces of globalization: economic dominance of transnational corporations, often American; the acceptance of certain governing rules and economic tendencies; and standardization of products and consumer behavior . . . this new globalization is a largely cultural phenomenon, whatever its economic base. Nowhere is this better seen than in the transformation of gambling into one of the world’s most rapidly expanding consumer activities. (P. 51)

More generally, it would seem that the development of the global tourism industry—one that, by many accounts, has evolved into the world’s largest—has provided the macro-economic backdrop for the development of a global gaming industry. And as this industry becomes a truly global one, scholars of the globalizing gaming industry— like scholars of globalization as a whole—might begin to focus on homogenizing forces as well as those forces that highlight local differences.

For instance, gambling locations in North America, Australia, and Europe are largely dominated by a relatively similar collection of machine games developed by a handful of multinational corporations. In a postindustrial “deforestation effect,” the overall portrait on the casino floor is one of machines replacing wooden tables, which are being hauled off to storage.

In Asia, meanwhile, these machine games have not proven as popular. In Asian casinos, these games are usually relegated to peripheral spaces within the gambling environment, as table-oriented games of chance predominate. Gamblers, for their part, “play” in an environment that is notably more serious than settings in Western societies. Were we to insist on a one-size-fits-all theoretical or methodological model for understanding such disparate sociocultural locales, our approaches might well prove to be deficient.

In some more-developed regions of the globalizing world, we are observing signs of a shift from social problems of deficiency to social problems of excess: for instance, starvation becomes less of a problem, only to be replaced by obesity. Both starvation and obesity, of course, are shaped by sociological as well as psychological and biological factors—as is certainly the case with gambling problems as well. In this context, it would seem that the “individual” problem we now call problem gambling may in fact be characterized as a quintessentially twenty-firstcentury “social problem”—one that is profoundly affected by macrolevel factors and that predictably involves an overindulgence (rather than an underindulgence).

Of course, professional views of those with gambling problems have not always been nuanced or multidimensional. For years, the experts who tackled the task of understanding and explaining the lives of those who “gambled too much” spoke from church pulpits (rather than academic podiums) and located the problem in morality. In a sermon delivered on April 19, 1835, Samuel Hopkins tells us exactly how we are to “treat” the problem gambler:

Let the gambler know that he is watched, and marked; and that, as a gambler, he is loathed. Let the man who dares to furnish a resort for the gambler know that he is counted a traitor to his duty, a murderer of all that is fair, and precious, and beloved among us. Let the voice of united, incensed remonstrance be heard— heard till the ears of the guilty tingle. (Pp. 17–18)

Unfortunately for problem gamblers, these kinds of historical perspectives have not been forgotten. This is why problem gamblers—who now are labeled by psychological institutions as “sick”—still self-diagnose as “evil” many years after these kinds of sermons were delivered.

This is a classic illustration of how a sociological imagination can help people understand the nuances of what “ails” them. A problem gambler might wonder, “If pathological gambling is a medical problem, then why is it that my friends treat me like a moral one?” The sociological answer is this: because the older religious interpretations of problem gamblers have generated far more momentum and power than the relatively youthful medical interpretations have. In the social battlefields of public discourse, 20 years or so of medical interpretations do not somehow magically eliminate the inertia of hundreds of years of influential religious interpretations. No matter how much we hail the recent advances of problem gambling science and medicine, they have not yet captured the public’s intellectual and emotional imagination in the way that earlier moral-religious understandings have (Bernhard, forthcoming-b).

In his book Pathological Gambling: The Making of a Medical Problem, Brian Castellani (2000) concludes that the field is careening carelessly down a decidedly medical pathway at the expense of more multidimensional perspectives. Drawing on the insights of Foucault, Castellani argues that medical experts have dominated the problem gambling discourse for too long and that it is time for those representing a wider range of discourses to be included in the construction of knowledge about this social problem. Castellani argues for an approach that explores how medical discourses collide with those emanating from moral or policy quarters. What remains to be seen is whether these kinds of sociological perspectives can contribute to the popular view of gambling in the way that moral and then psychological ones have.

The British sociologist Gerda Reith recently developed a thoughtful critique of the ways in which sociology should engage gambling as a subject of sociological inquiry. Noting that sociologists have long focused on the immorality or the sickness of those who gamble too much, Reith (2003) seeks instead to focus on the vast majority of gamblers who engage in gambling for recreation and fun.

In her work, Reith (2003) skillfully contemplates how an “age of chance” has emerged and engaged an age of reason. Long ago, of course, very little that occurred was attributed to mere chance—the gods, after all, controlled virtually every imaginable outcome. In the current context, chance has become accepted—and even commodified—by capitalist economies in the Western world. Looking to the future, Reith senses that a peculiar affection for chance will continue to develop, noting that “at the start of the twenty-first century, life does seem to be increasingly insecure,” citing market fluctuations, transformations in work life, environmental doomsday scenarios, and the postmodern grappling with truth and certitude as evidence (pp. 182–83). Against these sociological backdrops, Reith astutely notes that gambling serves as “a conduit for chance: an arena in which (chance) appears in an intensified and, more importantly, controlled form” (p. 183). Hence, gambling provides a unique outlet for the impulses that accompany this era. From this perspective, gambling seems less a deviant act than a distilled one: It serves as a microcosm for much that is characteristic of our times.

Methodologically, the field continues to grapple with a variety of issues that are common in many relatively young areas of inquiry. Summarizing the methodological state of the field, Eadington (2003) notes that “it remains difficult to fully comprehend what the evidence is telling us” (p. 32) and later argues that “benefit/cost analysis applied to . . . gaming activities is still a relatively primitive science, primarily because of the difficulties in conceptualizing, observing, and measuring social costs” (p. 46).

Notably, it is a sociologist, Rachel Volberg, who has served as the problem gambling field’s leading prevalence methodologist and researcher. Volberg (1996), whose tool of choice for determining problem gambling rates has been the telephone survey, nevertheless insists that multiple methods are preferable to any single one:

Many of the questions now being asked about gambling and problem gambling cannot be answered by single surveys . . . As we move forward, it will be important to use a variety of methods to provide insights that no single approach can yield. Since all scientific methods contain biases, multiple research techniques (including experimental, clinical, historical, ethnographic and survey approaches) are needed to resolve puzzles and discrepancies as well as to provide a much-needed depth of perception to the field of gambling studies. (P. 126)

Today, it appears that even the medically and psychologically oriented researchers in the field of gambling studies are embracing these broader approaches to theory and method. For instance, a group of influential scholars—all trained in psychology—recently put forth a call to embrace a more macrolevel “public health” approach to the study of gambling behavior. Interestingly, this public health approach strikes a chord familiar to sociologists, because it advocates multiple levels of analysis, including those that focus on the individual, group, organizational, and institutional levels (Blaszczynski, Ladouceur, and Shaffer 2004).

From a policy perspective, what makes gambling different from more conventional industries is the peculiar relationship between government entities and gambling businesses. As Eadington (2003) notes, “Gambling is one of the largest industries whose fundamental economic characteristics are substantially determined by political decisions” (p. 45). To this, we might add that state lotteries exist in a way that allows the government to sell products to its constituency directly and not via a generous tax break or other subsidy. Because of these relationships, government bodies may well find themselves with conflicting interests: On the one hand, they have an interest in maximizing gambling revenues (to sponsor government programs); on the other, they have an obligation to protect the public (some of whom may consume excessive amounts of lottery tickets).

In the United States, the government has been largely content to allow individual states to enforce and regulate gambling within their borders (Frey 1998). In other jurisdictions, national and provincial governments have entered into unique agreements with gaming business operators to offer gambling to native and tourist populations. In some cases, as with Canada, the government serves as a sort of “owner-operator” of casinos. As Rosecrance (1988) envisioned, gambling’s widespread acceptance and its partnership with public entities has resulted in its mainstreaming and legitimization—and also its decriminalization.

Recently, gambling has enjoyed unprecedented support from a wide variety of public figures. Especially in more conservative political environments, where uttering the “t word” (taxation) is a sure way to get voted out of office, gambling is often seen as a “voluntary tax” willingly donated to state coffers by participants, who in exchange for their donation receive an entertainment benefit.

At the same time, in jurisdictions across Canada and Australia, for instance, public clamor has resulted in growing efforts among government entities to mitigate the costs associated with this “entertainment.” Social movement organizations—most of which are affiliated with religious organizations in some manner—have once again emphasized the downside of gambling, and some jurisdictions have moved to address these critiques. To wit, the Canadian jurisdiction of Nova Scotia recently unveiled a test study of “responsible gaming devices” that have been attached to all gambling machines provincewide. These devices allow gamblers to check the amount of money they have won or lost over given periods of time (a sort of gambling “bank statement”) as well as set monetary limits and/or time limits for their play.

With each technological leap forward, however, we must also be on guard against falling into traps that some of sociology’s most famous voices have articulated. Bernhard and Preston (2004) point out that these policy interventions have a way of backfiring, as Robert Merton famously warned. As it turns out, several of the policies implemented in an effort to mitigate problem gambling have had unintended consequences, and a few have actually harmed those whom the policies ostensibly target. For instance, some jurisdictions have slowed down the speed of machine gambling games (thinking that this would help slow down the progression of gambling addicts), but research emerged that suggested that addicts actually played for longer periods of time when this policy was implemented. It would seem that in the twenty-first century, sociologists may well continue to rest their analyses on the able shoulders of the field’s twentieth-century giants.

Some of sociology’s favorite tools and perspectives can help illuminate a variety of aspects of gambling behavior. Robert Putnam’s (2000) popular work Bowling Alone, for instance, argues that many of our recreational activities have become decidedly less social over the past few generations. Putnam’s fundamental argument is that Americans are engaging in fewer social activities than in the past, and that this reduction in “social capital” can have potentially deleterious—even disastrous—consequences. Most germane to our discussion, in developing his argument, Putnam laments the decline of traditional game playing (such as bridge games) and the expansion of machine-based gambling:

Substitutes for card playing have emerged, of course, everything from computer and video games to casino gambling. Like cards, these pastimes provide the spice of chance. Unlike card playing, however, these successors are distinguished by their solitary nature . My informal observation of Internetbased bridge games suggests that electronic players are focused entirely on the game itself, with very little social small talk, unlike traditional card games. Even fanatics of Microsoft Solitaire rarely play in a group, and any visitor to the new megacasinos that dot the land has chilling memories of acres of lonely “players” hunched in silence over onearmed bandits. Bridge, poker, gin rummy, and canasta are not being replaced by some equally “schmoozable” leisuretime activity. (Pp. 104–105)

For Putnam, the recent gambling mania is symptomatic of far larger social ills. Beyond Putnam’s perspectives, there is much that is sociologically rich about the “social capital” (or lack thereof) of problem gamblers. For many problem gamblers, earlier in their “career,” gambling activity was decidedly unproblematic and heavily social—a way to socialize and enjoy and evening with friends. Later in their career, many problem gamblers find themselves gambling in social situations less often and gambling alone more often. By the time they reach what the 12-step groups call “bottom,” very few are gambling with anyone else— their social capital, it seems, has been reduced to nearly zero. Interestingly, their “recovery” embraces a dramatic reversal of this trend: Many turn to organized groups (such as professional therapy groups or Gamblers Anonymous) and reconnect with social worlds that they had abandoned. Whereas once they gambled alone, they eventually heal together (Bernhard, forthcoming-a).

For sociologists, obviously, group life has long been accepted as a foundational element of sociological inquiry. For gamblers with problems, an enhanced understanding of the nature and power of group life can perhaps deliver what Mills’s (1959) sociological imagination once promised. As Bernhard (forthcoming-b) argues, gamblers with problems can recognize, as all of us can, that “individual” problems can in fact be better understood by exploring the sociological backdrops on which they are projected.

Other books that are familiar to sociologists touch on gambling as well. The cultural critic Neil Postman (1985) begins his seminal work Amusing Ourselves to Death by talking about the American “city symbols” that captured the essence of a variety of periods—Boston in the colonial days, for instance, or New York in the Ellis Island immigration era. In this work, which is remarkable for how well it continues to resonate 20 years later, Postman suggests that in our current age, the ultimate city-symbol of the times may well be found in Las Vegas. For Postman, this is not necessarily a positive development:

For Las Vegas is a city entirely devoted to the idea of entertainment, and as such proclaims the spirit of a culture in which all public discourse increasingly takes the form of entertainment. Out politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts on show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice. The result is that we are a people on the verge of amusing ourselves to death. (Pp. 3–4)

Following Postman’s lead, other analysts engaged in research that might be called a “sociology of Las Vegas.” The work of Gottdiener, Collins, and Dickens (1999) presents an urban sociological perspective on Las Vegas—one that emphasizes the need to understand what might be called the first postindustrial city. After all, unlike Detroit or Pittsburgh, Las Vegas produces little that is physical in nature. Instead, the city “produces” experience for the nearly 40 million people who visit it annually.

Drawing on the sociospatial approach, these authors continue by arguing that we have seen a “Las Vegasization” of the rest of America and a simultaneous “Americanization” or “normalization” of Las Vegas. This convergence effect means that Las Vegas is no longer the deviant case study it once was—in fact, quite the contrary, it may well be a model laboratory for urban sociological inquiry.

The sociological study of gambling also shares affinities with the sociological study of “risk” (see, e.g., Frey 1991). Risk is a cultural construct that is shaped by the perceptions and evaluations of risk that individuals and societies assign to certain activities (including, presumably, gambling). More recently, some scholars have used this framework to better understand gambling’s effects on societies. Invoking the term “risk society,” Kingma (2004) observes that the liberalization of gambling laws, the growing perception of gambling as a legitimate economic and recreational pursuit, and the subsequent development of mechanisms to deal with gambling addiction are natural outcomes of the modernization process.

Risk analysis may well provide us with a framework for understanding the pros and cons of a variety of social influences. Social processes, as Short (1984) notes, have benefits as well as negative impacts on the “social fabric” (Giddens 1990, meanwhile, focuses on the term social order in his analysis). Wildavsky (1988) claims that risk is inherent in all activities, and seeking a “zero-risk” society—where all is safe and secure—leads only to stagnation.

Thus, as with all development, opportunities arise in some sectors, but costs too rear their heads. In policy and social research contexts, this means that gambling’s potential benefits as a recreational, employment, and economic resource must be considered against the potential costs of addiction, crime, and personal/familial disruption. Risk management is the exercise of alerting individuals and societies to these adverse conditions (Short 1984).

Finally, gambling as risk was also examined by Erving Goffman (1967), who actually assumed the role of a dealer for several months in a Las Vegas casino. He was not studying gambling per se but rather used the gambling setting to study patterns of social interaction. Goffman was interested in the choice individuals made to place themselves in settings where there was personal or property risk at stake. In these settings, individuals seek “action,” pursuing risky activities even when the risk is avoidable. Later, Frey (1984) applied this concept to gambling: “Action activities are consequential and fateful in that something of value can be won or lost on the outcome, and, by committing something of value, players indicate their seriousness. The greater the consequences, the more fateful the enterprise becomes” (p. 113).

Like so many forces that ensnare our sociological attention, technology will certainly continue to shape gambling activities in the twenty-first century. Already, a variety of newer technologies can double as a gambling device, including cell phones and computers. In the United States, attorneys for the Bush administration have decided that Internet wagering is illegal under the 1961 Wire Act, which prohibited phone bets that took place across state lines. Of course, the Internet is more amorphous than the phone lines of the 1960s were, revealing the complexities inherent in regulating and monitoring acts that take place in virtual rather than brick-andmortar worlds. Despite this presidential interpretation, millions of Americans (and many more bettors internationally) wager billions of dollars on sites that operate in jurisdictions that allow operators to flourish. Few Internet gamblers, it is safe to say, are fully aware of the legal status of the act—an oversight that is understandable, perhaps, given the widespread and increasing acceptance of gambling in general.

Other familiar technologies will also continue to shape the gambling landscape. Television has recently wielded its powerful cultural force, contributing significantly to the gambling boom by televising events such as celebrity poker and an ever-growing number of fictional and reality tales set in Las Vegas. With all this sociological momentum, it is difficult to envision a twenty-first century in which gambling becomes increasingly less important as a sociological force.

In closing, however, we should note that the history of gambling is hardly a tale of linear expansion: The activity has experienced spikes in popularity as well as occasional bouts with prohibition. To wit, even the state of Nevada has legalized gambling on three separate occasions (and banned it twice). When it comes to gambling, if we take the long sociological view, it seems prudent to bet on both growth and backlash as we look ahead to the twenty-first century.

Bibliography:

Abt, Vicki, James F. Smith, and Martin C. McGurrin. 1985. “Ritual, Risk, and Reward: A Role Analysis of Race Track and Casino Encounters.” Journal of Gambling Behavior 1(1):64–75.
American Psychiatric Association. 1994. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Bernhard, Bo J. Forthcoming-a. “On the Shoulders of Mills: A (Clinical) Sociological Imagination via a Bio-Psycho-Social-Sociological Model.” American Behavioral Scientist.
Bernhard, Bo J. Forthcoming-b. “The Voices of Vices: Sociological Perspectives on the DSM-IV Pathological Gambling Entry.” American Behavioral Scientist.
Bernhard, Bo J. and Frederick W. Preston. 2004. “On the Shoulders of Merton: Potentially Sobering Consequences of Problem Gambling Policy.” American Behavioral Scientist 47(11):1395–1405.
Blaszczynski, Alex, Robert Ladouceur, and Howard J. Shaffer. 2004. “A Science-Based Framework for Responsible Gambling: The Reno Model.” Journal of Gambling Studies 20(3):301–17.
Bloch, Herbert A. 1951. “The Sociology of Gambling.” American Journal of Sociology 57:215–21.
Castellani, Brian. 2000. Pathological Gambling: The Making of a Medical Problem. Albany: State University of New York.
Commission on the Review of the National Policy toward Gambling. 1976. Gambling in America. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Comstock, Anthony. 1883. Traps for the Young. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
Conrad, Peter and Joseph W. Schneider. 1992. Deviance and Medicalization: From Badness to Sickness. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Devereux, Edward C. 1949. “Gambling and the Social Structure: A Sociological Study of Lotteries and Horse Racing in America.” Ph.D. dissertation, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Downes, David M., B. P. Davies, M. E. David, and P. Stone. 1976. Gambling, Work and Leisure. London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Eadington, William R. 2003. “Values and Choices: The Struggle to Find Balance with Permitted Gambling in Modern Society.” Pp. 31–48 in Gambling: Who Wins? Who Loses? edited by G. Reith. Amherst, NY: Prometheus.
Frey, James H. 1984. “Gambling: A Sociological Review.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 474:107–21.
Frey, James H. 1991. “Social Risk and the Meaning of Sport.” Sociology of Sport Journal 8:136–45.
Frey, James H. 1998. “Federal Involvement in U.S. Gaming Regulation.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 556:138–52.
Giddens, Anthony. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
Goffman, Erving. 1967. Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-toFace Behavior. New York: Anchor.
Gottdiener, Marc, Claudia C. Collins, and David R. Dickens. 1999. Las Vegas: The Social Production of an All-American City. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Herman, Robert K. 1967. “Gambling as Work: A Sociological Study of the Racetrack.” Pp. 87–104 in Gambling, edited by R. K. Herman. New York: Harper & Row.
Hopkins, Samuel. 1835. The Evils of Gambling: A Sermon. Montpelier, VT: E. P. Walton.
Kaplan, H. Roy. 1978. Lottery Winners: How They Won and How Winning Changed Their Lives. New York: Harper & Row.
Kingma, Sytze. 2004. “Gambling and the Risk Society: The Liberalisation and Legitimation Crisis of Gambling in the Netherlands.” International Gambling Studies 4:47–67.
Lesieur, Henry R. 1977. The Chase: Career of the Compulsive Gambler. Garden City, NY: Doubleday/Anchor.
Lesieur, Henry R. and Robert L. Custer. 1984. “Pathological Gambling: Roots, Phases and Treatment.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 474:146–56.
Li, Wen Lang and Martin Smith. 1976. “The Propensity to Gamble: Some Structural Determinants.” Pp. 189–206 in Gambling and Society, edited by W. R. Eadington. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
Light, Ivan. 1977. “Numbers Gambling among Blacks: A Financial Institution.” American Sociological Review 42:892–904.
McMillen, Jan, ed. 1999. Gambling Cultures: Studies in History and Interpretation. London, England: Routledge.
McMillen, Jan. 2003. “From Local to Global Gambling Cultures.” Pp. 49–63 in Gambling: Who Wins? Who Loses, edited by G. Reith. Amherst, NY: Prometheus.
Mills, C. W. (1959). The Sociological Imagination. London, England: Oxford.
Morais, R. C. 2002. “Casino Junkies.” Forbes, April 29, pp. 66–70.
Newman, Otto. 1968. “The Sociology of the Betting Shop.” British Journal of Sociology 19:17–33.
Postman, Neil. 1985. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Penguin.
Putnam, Robert D. 2000. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Reith, Gerda. 2003. “Pathology and Profit: Controversies in the Expansion of Legal Gambling.” Pp. 9–28 in Gambling: Who Wins? Who Loses? edited by G. Reith. Amherst, NY: Prometheus.
Rosecrance, John. 1988. Gambling without Guilt: The Legitimation of an American Pastime. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Short, James F., Jr. 1984. “The Social Fabric at Risk: Toward a Social Transformation of Risk Analysis.” American Sociological Review 49:711–25.
Smith, James F., Jr. and Vicki Abt. 1984. “Gambling as Play.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 474:122–32 .
Tec, Nechama. 1964. Gambling in Sweden. Totowa, NJ: Bedminster Press.
Volberg, Rachel A. 1996. “Prevalence Studies of Problem Gambling in the United States.” Journal of Gambling Studies 12(2):111–28.
Volberg, Rachel. 2001. When the Chips Are Down: Problem Gambling in America. New York: Century.
Wildavsky, Aaron. 1988. Searching for Safety. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
Zola, I. K. 1963. “Observations on Gambling in a Lower Class Setting.” Social Problems 10:353–61.

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

Psychological Aspects of Gambling Behaviour: An Australian Psychological Society Position Paper

Australian Psychologist 34(1):4 - 16
34(1):4 - 16

This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.

Discover the world's research

25+ million members
160+ million publication pages
2.3+ billion citations
J GAMBL STUD

Paul H. Delfabbro

Gill Valentine

Annalena Koytek
Melanie Arnold

Int J Ment Health Addiction
Elly Gannon

C. Fabiansson

Kathleen M. Scanlan
Thomas N. Cummings
Matthew N. Hall

Mark Dickerson

ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT

J.E.V. Johnson
Neil McConaghy

Richard Govoni
Nicholas Rupcich

Joseph Hraba
Recruit researchers
Join for free
Login Email Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google Welcome back! Please log in. Email · Hint Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google No account? Sign up

DOI: 10.1108/jpmh-04-2024-0055
Corpus ID: 272230078

Defining mental health literacy: a systematic literature review and educational inspiration

Shengnan Zeng , Richard Bailey , +1 author Xiaohui Chen
Published in Journal of Public Mental… 2 September 2024
Psychology, Education

56 References

A systematic review of the limitations and associated opportunities of chatgpt, deductive qualitative analysis: evaluating, expanding, and refining theory, conceptualising and measuring positive mental health literacy: a systematic literature review, mental health education integration into the school curriculum needs to be implemented, review: school-based mental health literacy interventions to promote help-seeking - a systematic review., public opinion towards mental health (the case of the vologda region), quantifying the global burden of mental disorders and their economic value, mental health literacy: it is now time to put knowledge into practice, clarifying the concept of mental health literacy: protocol for a scoping review, positive mental health literacy: a concept analysis, related papers.

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers

Sample Paper
Question Paper
NCERT Solutions
NCERT Books
NCERT Audio Books
NCERT Exempler
Model Papers
Past Year Question Paper
Writing Skill Format
RD Sharma Solutions
HC Verma Solutions
CG Board Solutions
UP Board Solutions
Careers Opportunities
Courses & Career
Courses after 12th

Home » Extras » Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 | Kerala Std 9 First Term Hindi Question Paper PDF

Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 | Kerala Std 9 First Term Hindi Question Paper PDF

Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 is published after exam. You can download the Kerala Std 9 First Term Hindi Question Paper PDF from here on aglasem. The latest and previous year question paper of Onam Exam for class 9 Hindi helps you prepare for the upcoming first term Hindi test . And after studying with this Kerala Syllabus 9th Standard Hindi Question Paper , you can download Onam Exam Question Paper for Class 9 for other subjects as well.

Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024

This is the Onam Exam Question Paper for 9th Standard Hindi. Kerala Syllabus 9th Standard Question Paper for First Term Onam Exam for Hindi subject is as follows.

Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2023-24 Click Here to Download Question Paper PDF

Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2022-23 – Click Here to Download Question Paper PDF

Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 PDF

The complete question paper is as follows.

The latest available previous year Question Paper is given below.

Kerala Std 9 First Term Hindi Question Paper with Answer Keys

Just after the exam you must be looking for Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 with Answer Key .
The Kerala 9th Standard First Term Hindi Answer Key contains answers of all questions asked in the test.
Many 9th standard teachers of Kerala Board publish Kerala Syllabus 9th Standard Question Papers and Answers for Hindi .
Therefore you can obtain the Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 with Answer Key for Class 9 Hindi directly from teachers or their social media channels.

Kerala Class 9 First Term Onam Exam Question Papers

If you are in class 9, then you must be appearing in 9th Standard Onam Examination for many subjects in addition to Hindi. So here are the Onam Exam Question Paper of Class 9 for all subjects.

Health & Physical Education, Art, Work Education
Malayalam I
Malayalam II
Social Science

Kerala First Term Onam Exam Question Papers

The Kerala Board schools hold Onam (First Term) exams for all classes. Here are class wise question papers of the same.

Class 1 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 2 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 3 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 4 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 5 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 6 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 7 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 8 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 9 Onam Exam Question Papers
Class 10 Onam Exam Question Papers

Kerala Board Question Papers

Similarly, here are all previous year question papers of the Kerala Board exams.

Onam Exam Question Papers
Kerala SSLC Question Papers
Kerala Plus One Question Papers
Kerala Plus Two Question Paper

Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper – An Overview

Key highlights of this preparation guide material are as follows.

Aspects	Details
State	Kerala
Class	Class 9 / Std 9 / 9th Standard
Subject	Hindi
Examination	First Terminal Exam or Onam Exam
Paper Here	Kerala Class 9 First Terminal Exam Hindi Question Paper
All Previous Year Question Papers of This Class
All Previous Year Question Papers of This Exam
PYQP of This State
More Study Material of This Board

If you have any queries on Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024, then please ask in comments below.

To get study material, exam alerts and news, join our Whatsapp Channel .

Class 7 Arabic Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 | Kerala Std 7 First Term Arabic Question Paper PDF

Class 9 malayalam i onam exam question paper 2024 | kerala std 9 first term malayalam i question paper pdf, related posts.

WBCHSE Class 12 Physics Semester 4 Model Question Paper 2026 – PDF Download

Wbchse class 12 political science semester 4 model question paper 2026 – pdf download, wbchse class 12 sociology semester 4 model question paper 2026 – pdf download, wbchse class 12 geography semester 4 model question paper 2026 – pdf download, leave a reply cancel reply, cbse board quick links.

CBSE Date Sheet
CBSE Result
CBSE Syllabus
CBSE Sample Papers
CBSE Question Papers
CBSE Practice Papers

CISCE Board Quick Links

CISCE Time Table
CISCE Results
CISCE Specimen Papers
CISCE Syllabus
CISCE Question Papers

Class Wise Study Material

Board exams 2023.

Solved Sample Papers
Revision Notes
State Board

Study Material

Class Notes
Courses After Class 12th
JEE Main 2024
Fashion & Design
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy

Discover more from AglaSem Schools

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Associations between Marketing Exposure, In-game Purchases, Problem Gaming, Simulated Gambling, and Psychological Distress among Adolescents

Fong-Ching Chang
Wei-Chun Chuang
Hung-Yi Chuang

Gambling habits and Probability Judgements in a Bayesian Task Environment

David L. Dickinson
Parker Reid

Cryptocurrency Trading, Day Trading, and Gambling Behavior: Examining the Moderating Effects of Financially Focused Self-Concept and Gambling Motives

Eric R. Louderback
Seth P. McCullock
Debi A. LaPlante

Applying General Strain Theory to the Relationship Between Strain from Another Person’s Gambling Behavior and Gambling Disorder

Michelle L. Malkin

Internet and Gambling: Insights from Australia’s NBN Rollout

Klaus Ackermann
Sefa Awaworyi Churchill
Musharavati Ephraim Munyanyi

Effectiveness of a Systems-Wide Initiative to Address Motivation and Expectations for Treatment on Initial Session Attendance to Outpatient Gambling Treatment

Rory A. Pfund
Adrianna J. Valencia
James P. Whelan

Scent-driven Selective Attention on Gambling Outcome: Implications for Responsible Gambling

Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong
Sunny Zhenzhen Nong
Davis Ka Chio Fong

“It would Never have Happened Without the Pandemic”: Understanding the Lived Experience of Individuals who Increased Their Online Gambling Participation

Annie-Claude Savard
Sylvia Kairouz

Player-Facing Casino Employees: Engagement with Responsible Gambling Programming and its Association with Referring Players

Gray E. Gaudett
Nassim Tabri
Michael J. A. Wohl

Online Gambling and At-Risk Gambling Behaviour in a Cross-Sectional Survey Among 13–19 Year-Old Adolescents in Barcelona

M. Bartroli

Neurophysiological Correlates of Near-Wins in Gambling: A Systematic Literature Review

Artemisa Rocha Dores
Miguel Peixoto
Fernando Barbosa

Systematic Assessment of Gambling Type Involvement: Reliability and Validity of the Gambling Disorder Identification Test (GDIT)

Peter Wennberg
Olof Molander

Perceived Impact of Gambling Advertising can Predict Gambling Severity among Patients with Gambling Disorder

Hibai Lopez-Gonzalez
Roser Granero
Susana Jiménez-Murcia

Can Positive Play Deficits Explain the Associations Between Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Gambling Motives, and Problem Gambling? Results of a National U.S. Sample

Anthony King
Shane W. Kraus
Joshua B. Grubbs

Risk and Protective Factors for Gambling Among Youth by origin: Findings from the three waves of cross-sectional Finnish School Health Promotion Study among 238,939 Students

Kirsimarja Raitasalo
Johanna Järvinen-Tassopoulos
Natalia Skogberg

Excite, or Take Flight? Exploring the Relationship between Difficulties with Emotion Regulation, Outcome Expectancies, and Problem Gambling

Annabelle Lee
Kim M. Caudwell

Examining the Role of Sports Betting Marketing in Youth Problem Gambling

Gianluca Di Censo
Paul Delfabbro
Daniel L. King

P.A.V.I.A. Study: Pervasiveness and Associated Factors of Video Slot Machine Use in a Large Sample of Italian Adolescents

Giansanto Mosconi
Paola Bertuccio

Sleep Problems and Gambling Disorder: Cross-Sectional Relationships in a Young Cohort

Holly A. Austin
Samuel R. Chamberlain
David S. Baldwin

Problematic Gaming and Gambling: A Systematic Review of Task-Specific EEG Protocols

Dovile Simkute
Artemisa R. Dores
Inga Griskova-Bulanova

Gambling Habits and Attitudes among Athlete and Non-Athlete High School Students in Skåne Region, Sweden

Molly Miles
Mitchell Andersson
Anders Håkansson

Promoting Adolescent Safer Gambling Through Self-Referent Counterfactual Thinking and Knowledge of Probabilistic Outcome

Larry O. Awo

Illegal Online Gambling Site Detection using Multiple Resource-Oriented Machine Learning

Moohong Min
Donggi Augustine Lee

Correction to: Harm Minimization Training, Knowledge, and Behaviour of Canadian Casino Employees

Darren R. Christensen
Fiona Nicoll
Rhys M. G. Stevens

Internally Formed Preferences for Options only Influence Initial Decisions in Gambling Tasks, while the Gambling Outcomes do not Alter these Preferences

Jianhong Zhu
Kentaro Katahira
Takashi Nakao

Geographical Distribution of Betting Shops and Their Proximity to Schools: (Non-)Compliance with Regulations in the City of Madrid

Sandra Arias Rodríguez
Francisco Escobar

The Dependence of Online Gambling Businesses on High-Spending Customers: Quantification and Implications

David Forrest
Ian G. McHale

Role of Motivation in the Progression of Problem Gambling: A Comparison of Early and Late Adults

Yasunobu Komoto

Religiosity, Financial Risk Taking, and Reward Processing: An Experimental Study

Frederique J. Vanheusden
Sundara Kashyap Vadapalli

Correlates of Problematic Gambling in Emerging Adult University Students in Ireland

Michael P. Murphy
Raegan Murphy
Amanda Roberts

The Role of Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy in Responsible Gambling

Kwok Kit Tong

Problematic Gambling Behavior in a Sample of Gamblers: The Role of Alexithymia, Dissociation Features, and External Locus of Control

Alessio Gori
Eleonora Topino

Too Young to Gamble: Long-term Risks from Underage Gambling

We might have a sports gambling problem and it is not what you think: a commentary.

Meredith K. Ginley

Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Gambling Severity in Youth Online Gamblers: The Mediating Roles of Internalizing, Attention and Externalizing Problems

Mohammad Reza Zarbakhsh Bahri
Natalie Tayim
Mohammadreza Davoudi

An Empirical Investigation of the Three-Pathway Model and its Contribution to the Gambling Disorder Psychopathology

Bruna Mayara Lopes
Hermano Tavares

Winning Exposure and Positive Illusions Among Chinese Lottery Gamblers: Moderating Effects of Lottery Winning Experience and Socioeconomic Status

Libin Zhang

Investigation of Gambling Behavior, Self-Confidence and Psychological Resilience Levels of University Students

Songul Duran
Özlem Demirci
Filiz Akgenç

A Self-Applied Psychological Treatment for Gambling-Related Problems via The Internet: A Pilot, Feasibility Study

Laura Diaz-Sanahuja
Carlos Suso-Ribera
Juana María Bretón-López

Towards an Active Role of Financial Institutions in Preventing Problem Gambling: A Proposed Conceptual Framework and Taxonomy of Financial Wellbeing Indicators

Nathan Lakew
Jakob Jonsson
Philip Lindner

Desire Thinking About Gambling: Assessment and Associations With Gambling Disorder and Responsible Gambling Among Chinese Gamblers

Juliet Honglei Chen
Marcantonio M. Spada
Anise M. S. Wu

Linking Striatal Dopaminergic Asymmetry with Personality Traits: Insights from Gambling Disorder

Francesco Di Carlo
Mauro Pettorruso
Daniela Di Giuda

Correlates of Gambling Behaviours Among Day Traders: Evidence from a National Study

R. Diandra Leslie
Carrie A. Shaw
Daniel S. McGrath

Facing up to Problem Gambling: Tracing the Emergence of Facial Recognition Technology as a means of Enforcing Voluntary Self-Exclusion

Neil Selwyn
Gavin Smith
Chris O’Neill

Cue-Reactive Phenomenology Mediates the Relationship Between Positive Schizotypy and Cue-Reactive Urge to Gamble in Poker-Machine Gamblers

Benjamin A. McTigue
Andrew C. Talk
Adam J. Rock

Psychometric Validation of the Gambling Craving Scale in a Treatment-Seeking Sample

Anthony M. Battaglia
Lana Vedelago
Matthew T. Keough

Exploring the Differences in Positive Play among Various Sports Wagering Behaviors

Alexander J. Connolly
Lindsay M. Stall

Problem Gambling and Suicidal Behaviours in Young Adult men in Ghana: A Moderated Mediation Model of Psychological Distress and Social Support

Dorothy Koompah
Enoch Teye-Kwadjo
Irene A. Kretchy

Skill-Based Electronic Gaming Machines: Features that Mimic Video Gaming, Features that could Contribute to Harm, and Their Potential Attraction to Different Groups

Philip Newall
Matthew Rockloff
Georgia Dellosa

A Longitudinal Investigation of Lower-Risk Gambling Limits in the Canadian National Study

Nolan B. Gooding
Matthew M. Young
David C. Hodgins
Find a journal
Publish with us
Track your research

COMMENTS

How gambling affects the brain and who is most vulnerable to addiction
Over the last 20 years or so, researchers have refined their understanding of how common gambling addictions are and who is most vulnerable. Among adults, the estimated proportion of people with a problem ranges from 0.4% to 2%, depending on the study and country. Rates rise for people with other addictions and conditions.
Casino & Gambling Glossary
Accumulator (Gambling term) See Parlay. Aces (Craps term) Betting that the next roll with be a 2. Across the Board (Horse betting term) A method of wagering on a horse to win, place and show ...
Sports Betting Terms: Gambling 101 Glossary
Odds formats: American (+100), Decimal (2.00) and Fractional (1/1) are the three main odds formats. Oddsmaker: Same as a linemaker, a person or group that sets daily betting lines and prices. Odds ...
Sports Betting Terms & Glossary For New Bettors (2021 Update)
Middle/Middling. Betting both sides of a game at different price with the hope of winning both wagers. Example: If a bettor played Chicago (-4) and Los Angeles (+6) and Chicago won by five points ...
Gambling Term Paper Examples That Really Inspire
Gambling Term Papers Samples For Students. 4 samples of this type. If you're looking for a viable way to streamline writing a Term Paper about Gambling, WowEssays.com paper writing service just might be able to help you out. For starters, you should browse our large directory of free samples that cover most various Gambling Term Paper topics ...
A Primer on the Mathematics of Gambling
As many experienced gamblers have learned—for better or worse—and some knowledgeable insiders have voiced, "There is no such thing as luck; it is all mathematics." This chapter presents the fundamental mathematics of gambling and shows how the math behind the games generates revenues and drives the economics of gambling.
Gambling Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Gambling Terms
A sawdust joint is a colloquial term used to describe low-end gambling houses or casinos. It is in contrast to a carpet joint, which is a term used to describe posh, high-end casinos. Scatter Symbol . A scatter symbol is a special symbol that can land on the reels in slot games. Usually, landing at least three scatter symbols in view triggers ...
Casino Glossary A-Z: Essential Gambling Terms Explained
Casino term glossary. Action: In the casino world, 'action' refers to the play at the casino tables. It's the total money wagered by a player during their entire playing session. In sports betting, 'action' can mean a bet or wager, and it's also a term used by dealers to indicate it's a player's turn. Bankroll: Your bankroll is ...
Term Paper About Gambling
Term Paper About Gambling - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Writing a thesis on gambling can be challenging due to the vast, complex, and controversial nature of the topic. It requires extensive research on the history, psychology, economics, and social impacts of gambling as there are many perspectives to consider.
Term Paper: Sociology of Gambling
TOPIC: Term Paper on Sociology of Gambling Assignment Further exacerbating the causal effects of risk and reward on the progression of compulsive gambling is the ease with which gamblers can invest in specific rationalizations to deny, minimize, and justify their compulsive behavior, even after substantial objective evidence of the continuing ...
An Economic Model of Gambling Behaviour: A Two-Stage Approach
The model combines a baseline expected utility of gambling with a term for unsatisfied gambling cravings influenced by past gambling behaviour. In brief, the model can be described as ... In this paper we discuss significant gambling-related harms in terms of gambling that yields a negative experienced utility—that is, when an individual ...
Emerging Gambling Problems and Suggested Interventions: A ...
The Article Selection Process. As it is impossible to find and include all relevant studies (Heitink et al., 2016), we selected scientific articles on gambling indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, which cover many academic disciplines.In Scopus and Web of Science, we used the advanced search function and input the broad search term "gambl*."
Gambling-gaming convergence: new developments and future directions
The distinction between gambling and gaming activities has become increasingly blurred. One of the principal causes of this is technological convergence, a term which refers to the growing co-location and inter-relationship between different classes of activities. Some argue that convergence may increase the appeal and accessibility of gambling ...
Risk Factors for Gambling Disorder: A Systematic Review
The analysis of gambling characteristics identified three distinct clinical traits of the gamblers: early and short-term onset (EOSC) (group 1), early and long-term onset (EOLC) (group 2), and late and short-term onset (LOSC) (Group 3) (Landreat et al., 2020). The incidence of gambling problems and the severity of gambling were higher in the ...
(PDF) Gambling Addiction
behavioral addiction (similar to gambling addic-. tion) whereby he or she ignores social, relational, and occupational responsibilities and becomes. preoccupied with the game. In general, gaming ...
Gamblification: A definition
Originating in the field of Gambling Studies it gained currency in non-academic contexts before witnessing a recent resurgence in works addressing the intersection of games and gambling. As the term has spread between different fields and contexts of usage, the meaning has evolved from the specific practice in which the gambling industry ...
Pathological Choice: The Neuroscience of Gambling and Gambling
First, gambling is a naturalistic and pervasive example of risky decision making, and thus gambling games can provide a paradigm for the investigation of human choice behavior and "irrationality.". Second, excessive gambling involvement (i.e., pathological gambling) is currently conceptualized as a behavioral addiction, and research on this ...
Home
Overview. The Journal of Gambling Studies is an interdisciplinary forum for research and discussion of the many and varied aspects of gambling behavior, both controlled and pathological. Coverage extends to the wide range of attendant and resultant problems, including alcoholism, suicide, crime, and a number of other mental health concerns.
Full article: What can be learned about gambling from a learning
Abstract. Gambling is a field that harbors both harmless recreational activities and pathological varieties that may be considered an addictive disorder. It is also a field that deserves special interest from a learning theoretical perspective, since pathological gambling represents both a pure behavioral addiction involving no ingestion of ...
Gambling: a neglected public health issue
Gambling is a source of potentially serious and wide-ranging harms, affecting an individual's health, wealth, and relationships. It affects whole families and communities, and can become a lifelong struggle to avoid relapse. There is an urgent need to assess and understand the barriers and facilitators to preventing gambling-related health harms.
Gambling disorder in the UK: key research priorities and the urgent
In this Health Policy paper, we outline the status of research and treatment for disordered gambling in the UK (including funding issues) and key research that should be conducted to establish the magnitude of the problem, vulnerability and resilience factors, the underlying neurobiology, long-term consequences, and treatment opportunities.
An Overview of the Economics of Sports Gambling and an Introduction to
The first paper in this symposium examines this topic by analyzing the determinants of sport gambling handle and its effects on other casino gaming at West Virginia casinos during roughly the first year of legalized sports betting in the state (Humpheys 2021). ... which is likely to continue its long-term decline in gambling handle (Nash 2009), ...
Gambling Research Paper
This sample gambling research paper features: 4800 words (approx. 16 pages), an outline, and a bibliography with 44 sources. Browse other research paper example ... Invoking the term "risk society," Kingma (2004) observes that the liberalization of gambling laws, the growing perception of gambling as a legitimate economic and recreational ...
PDF Guide to the Gambling White Paper
y since the Gambling Act in 2005. The white paper aims to address concerns about the dangers of online and virtual gambling, which enable punters to place a bet anywhere at any time of the day or night, while allowing millions of. ple to continue to play safely. The government's proposals, which follow a wide-ranging industry review launched ...
Does gambling expenditure have any effect on crime?
INTRODUCTION. In the fiscal year 2021/2022, Australians spent a total of AUS$24 billion on gambling. On a per capita basis, this amounts to $1200.22 per person [], reportedly one of the highest if not the highest per capita rate of gambling expenditure in the world [].The harms associated with problem gambling include financial, relationship and psychological as well as legal and health ...
PDF The epidemiology and impact of gambling disorder and other gambling
Problem gambling and other gambling-related harm are not widely regarded as a health issue or priority. There are, however, a few jurisdictions where they are being addressed as a public health issue with an emphasis on prevention as well as treatment. During the past 30 years, gambling research has grown considerably, especially in relation to
Psychological Aspects of Gambling Behaviour: An Australian
Gambling is commonly associated with social and economic disadvantage. In this paper we examine the impact of gambling on homeownership, using Australian panel data.
Defining mental health literacy: a systematic literature review and
Purpose This paper aims to explore how the term "mental health literacy" (MHL) is defined and understand the implications for public mental health and educational interventions. Design/methodology/approach An extensive search was conducted by searching PubMed, ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. Keywords such as "mental health literacy" and "definition" were used.
Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024
Kerala Std 9 First Term Hindi Question Paper with Answer Keys. Just after the exam you must be looking for Class 9 Hindi Onam Exam Question Paper 2024 with Answer Key.; The Kerala 9th Standard First Term Hindi Answer Key contains answers of all questions asked in the test.; Many 9th standard teachers of Kerala Board publish Kerala Syllabus 9th Standard Question Papers and Answers for Hindi.
Articles
Dharmendra Singh. Rohit Bansal. Original Paper 22 April 2024. 1. 2. …. 38. Next. The Journal of Gambling Studies is an interdisciplinary forum for research and discussion of the many and varied aspects of gambling behavior, both controlled ...