NCJ Number
161768
Date Published
1995
Length
318 pages
Annotation
This is an overview of adolescent gambling worldwide as well as individual case studies, treatment approaches, and an insight into how the gaming industry induces young people to gamble.
Abstract
Gambling is widespread and, for a minority, addictive. Although in theory gambling is against the law for children, they do have access to one form of gambling, slot machines. The author discusses why some adolescents become addicted to gambling, how they gamble, and what can be done about it. He begins the book with a series of case studies to highlight what he describes as the typicality of excessive adolescent gambling. He analyzes the problem of adolescent slot machine gambling from several points of view: (1) observational analysis; (2) the role of cognitive bias and skill; (3) the role of arousal and subjective moods in the maintenance of this behavior; (4) qualitative accounts and case studies; and (5) the importance of structural characteristics. There is a separate chapter devoted to the treatment of pathological gambling. Figures, tables, references, appendixes, name index, subject index