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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 9:19 pm
Time: 9:19 pm
Results for gambling (u.k.)
2 results foundAuthor: May-Chahal, Corinne Title: OffGam: An Evidence Informed Approach to Addressing Problem Gambling in Prison Populations: Summary Report Summary: A pilot study of men and women in two English prisons shows that prisoners have significantly higher levels of gambling problems than the general population. The study found that offending and gambling problems were frequently connected and suggests that at least 5% of offending could be reduced if gambling problems were effectively addressed. The pilot study found that 5.4% of all male and 3% of all female prisoners considered their current offence was linked to gambling. If representative this equals 5.275% of the total prison population at the time they responded to the study questionnaire. The prevalence of problem gambling in the two prison populations is more in line with international estimates than previous UK studies suggest. Over a quarter of male prisoners and just under a fifth of female prisoners were rated as medium risk and problem gamblers. In the two prisons which took part in the pilot study, 17.4% of males and 12.2% of females were defined as medium risk for problem gambling, and 10.4% of males and 5.9% of females were defined as problem gamblers. Total combined risk and problem gambling rates were 27.8% for men and 18.1% for women, bringing findings in England and Wales more in line with findings from other prison populations elsewhere in the world. The three-year pilot study by a research team at the University of Lancaster was funded by the Responsible Gambling Fund (RGF), the national charity that distributes funds for gambling research, education and treatment. A second study, funded by RGF and the Economic and Social Research Council, examining the questions raised by the pilot in more depth, is now under way. Almost 60 per cent of male and nearly 40 per cent of female prisoners had taken part in some form of gambling before going to prison. Researchers also found that attitudes to gambling were broadly comparable with the national averages in the British Gambling Prevalence Survey. However, prisoners tended to be more in favour of people having the right to gamble whenever they want and to be against banning gambling altogether. There was a significant difference between total attitudinal scores for women in prison and those in the community, with those in prison having more favourable attitudes towards gambling overall. There were no significant differences between the two male populations. Prisoners told researchers of some of the links prisoners made between gambling and their current crime. These included arguing with a partner and selling drugs to get money to gamble; stealing from family members to gamble; and getting into fights over gambling. One prisoner believed there is a link between her being a 'street working young woman' and gambling. Another regarded gambling in prison as a guilty pleasure, while recognising that it sometimes leads to potentially violent confrontations between prisoners. Details: London: Responsible Gambling Fund, 2011. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2012 at: www.rgfund.org.uk Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 124033 Keywords: Gambling (U.K.)Prisoners |
Author: Snowdon, Christopher Title: The Crack Cocaine of Gambling? Gambling Machines in the UK Summary: This paper assesses the claims made about gambling machines in British betting shops, in particular ‘fixed-odds betting terminals’. These machines are routinely dubbed ‘the crack cocaine of gambling’ and it is said that players can lose £18,000 in an hour. They are blamed for a rise in problem gambling and it is alleged that Britons lose £42 billion on the machines every year. It is also claimed that betting shops have proliferated as bookmakers scramble to cash in on the popularity of the machines. •The ‘crack cocaine of gambling’ label has been attached to virtually every new gambling product since the late-1980s. It is never attributed to any named individual and is akin to anti-gambling folklore. Such rhetoric is used by campaigners to attract media attention. •The number of betting shops in Britain began to decline in the late 1960s and reached an all-time low at the turn of the century. Since then, there has been a slight resurgence, with numbers rising by 4.5 per cent between 2000 and 2012. These figures are not consistent with the claim that there has been a ‘dramatic proliferation’ of betting shops. Contrary to popular belief, the bookmaking industry’s gross gambling yield has fallen slightly in recent years. •There is some anecdotal evidence that there is ‘clustering’ of betting shops in areas where the four machine limit is insufficient to meet demand. Insofar as this oversupply of betting shops is an issue, it can best be addressed by raising the limit. •Existing evidence does not support the claim that fixed-odds betting terminals have led to a nationwide rise in problem gambling, nor do the data suggest that these machines are uniquely ‘addictive’ or seductive. •The campaign against virtual gaming machines in betting shops closely resembles previous moral panics about new gambling products. The reliance on anecdotal evidence, well-worn rhetoric and unsubstantiated claims about ‘addiction’ is characteristic of similar panics which were subsequently abandoned when it became clear that the new activity was neither especially pernicious nor particularly contagious. • Like other parts of the gambling sector, the bookmaking industry has responded to the market shifting towards virtual gaming. Opponents of fixed-odds betting terminals are aware than a severe reduction in stakes and prizes would reduce consumer appeal and amount to a de facto ban. Over-regulation would push customers to the less regulated online market and would probably lead to a surge in the black market. This would have a detrimental impact on employment in the industry and would significantly reduce tax revenue. Better regulation of the domestic gambling industry should focus on providing greater flexibility for new technology and larger stakes and prizes for venues which are higher up the regulatory pyramid. Details: London: Institute of Economic Affairs, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: IEA Current Controversies Paper No. 41: Accessed April 25, 2013 at: http://www.iea.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/files/Gambling%20machines_for%20web.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.iea.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/files/Gambling%20machines_for%20web.pdf Shelf Number: 128440 Keywords: Betting ShopsGambling (U.K.)Moral PanicsOnline Gambling |