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Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review (1999)

Chapter: Front Matter

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
×

Pathological Gambling

A Critical Review

Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of Pathological Gambling

Committee on Law and Justice

Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
×

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Pathological gambling : a critical review / Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of Pathological Gambling [and] Committee on Law and Justice, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-309-06571-2 (hardcover)

1. Compulsive gambling—United States. I. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of Pathological Gambling. II. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Law and Justice.

RC569.5.G35 P38 1999

616.85′841—dc21 99-06598

Additional copies of this report are available from the
National Academy Press,
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Lock Box 285, Washington, D.C. 20005. (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-313 (in the Washington Metropolitan Area). This report is also available online at http://www.nap.edu

Printed in the United States of America

Copyright 1999 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
×

Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of Pathological Gambling

CHARLES F. WELLFORD (Chair),

Center for Applied Policy Studies and Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland

COLIN CAMERER,

Division on Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology

LINDA B. COTTLER,

Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine

SARA KIESLER,

Department of Social and Decision Sciences, and Human Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

MARK W. LIPSEY,

Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University

EILEEN M. LUNA,

American Indian Studies Programs, University of Arizona

BARBARA ANN MELLERS,

Department of Psychology, Ohio State University

CLINTON V. OSTER, JR.,

School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University

DAVID RADOS,

Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University

RICHARD J. ROSENTHAL,

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles

HOWARD J. SHAFFER,

Division on Addictions and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

JEROME H. SKOLNICK,

Faculty of Law, New York University School of Law

KEN WINTERS,

Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota

SAMUEL C. McQUADE III, Study Director

MELISSA BAMBA, Research Associate

GLENDA TYSON, Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
×

Committee on Law and Justice

CHARLES F. WELLFORD (Chair),

Center for Applied Policy Studies and Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland

RUTH DAVIS,

The Pymatuning Group, Inc., Virginia

DARNELL HAWKINS,

Department of African American Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago

PHILIP HEYMANN,

Center for Criminal Justice, Harvard Law School

CANDACE KRUTTSCHNITT,

Department of Sociology, University of Minnesota

MARK LIPSEY,

Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University

COLIN LOFTIN,

School of Criminal Justice, State University of New York at Albany

JOHN MONAHAN,

School of Law, University of Virginia

DANIEL NAGIN,

H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University

JOAN PETERSILIA,

School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine

PETER REUTER,

School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland

WESLEY SKOGAN,

Center for Urban Affairs, Northwestern University

CATHY SPATZ WIDOM,

Departments of Criminal Justice and Psychology, State University of New York at Albany

KATE STITH,

School of Law, Yale University

MICHAEL TONRY,

School of Law, University of Minnesota

CAROL PETRIE, Study Director

MELISSA BAMBA, Research Associate

KAREN AUTREY, Senior Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
×

Acknowledgments

The following persons, many who prepared papers or presentations for the committee, are acknowledged and thanked for sharing their expertise on pathological gambling, and for giving of their time to participate in and support the public workshops hosted by the National Research Council:

Curtis L. Barrett, University of Louisville

Alex Blaszczynski, The Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia

Carl Braunlich, Purdue University

David Comings, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, California

Sue Cox, Texas Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling, Richardson

Renee Cunningham-Williams, Washington University School of Medicine

Jeff Derevensky, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Carlo C. DiClemente, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

William Eadington, University of Nevada

Richard Evans, University of Houston

Don Feeney, Minnesota State Lottery, Roseville

Joanna Franklin, National Council on Problem Gambling, Washington, DC

Peter Goyer, Cleveland Medical Center, Ohio

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
×

Mark Griffiths, The Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, Australia

Rina Gupta, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Matthew A. Hall, Harvard Medical School

Erik Hollander, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York

Durand F. Jacobs, American Board of Professional Psychology, California

Norm Kruedelbach, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Ohio

Robert Ladouceur, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada

Henry Lesieur, Institute for Problem Gambling, Middletown, Connecticut

Scott Lukas, McClean Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Janet Mann, American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Richard McCleary, University of California at Irvine

Lia Nower, Washington University

Judy Patterson, American Gaming Association, Washington, DC

Marcus D. Patterson, American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders, Cambridge, Massachusetts

William Rhodes, Abt Associates Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts

I. Nelson Rose, Whittier Law School

Lori Rugle, Trimeridian Inc., Carmel, Indiana

William Semple, Cleveland Medical Center, Ohio

Randy Stinchfield, University of Minnesota Medical School

Bradley Stoner, Washington University

Rodger Svendson, Minnesota Institute of Public Health, Anoka

Jack Thar, Indiana Gaming Commission, Indianapolis

Tony Toneatto, Addiction Research Foundation, Calgary, Canada

Joni Vander Bilt, Harvard Medical School

Rachel Volberg, Gemini Research, Northhampton, Massachusetts

Lynn Wallisch, Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Austin

Robert Wildman, Dickson, O'Bryan, Dugan and Associates, Nevada

Harold Wynne, Wynne Resources, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Kurt Zorn, Indiana University

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
×

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee of the National Research Council. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: John Bailar, Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago; Robert Boruch, Graduate School of Education and Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Philip J. Cook, Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University; Stephen Cornell, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona; John Dombrink, Department of Criminology, Law, and Society, University of California, Irvine; Reid Hastie, Center for Research on Judgment and Policy and Department of Psychology, University of Colorado; John Kihlstrom, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley; Robert S. Lawrence, School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; Scott O. Lilienfeld, Department of Psychology, Emory University; John Monahan, Professor of Law, Psychology, and Legal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Law; Eric J. Nestler, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine; Henry W. Riecken, Professor of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (emeritus); and Lee N. Robins, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University of School of Medicine.

Although the individuals listed above have provided constructive comments and suggestions, it must be emphasized that responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6329.
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

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Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review Get This Book
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As states have moved from merely tolerating gambling to running their own games, as communities have increasingly turned to gambling for an economic boost, important questions arise. Has the new age of gambling increased the proportion of pathological or problem gamblers in the U.S. population? Where is the threshold between "social betting" and pathology? Is there a real threat to our families, communities, and the larger society? Pathological Gambling explores America's experience of gambling, examining:

  • The diverse and frequently controversial issues surrounding the definition of pathological gambling.
  • Its co-occurrence with disorders such as alcoholism, drug abuse, and depression.
  • Its social characteristics and economic consequences, both good and bad, for communities.
  • The role of video gaming, Internet gambling, and other technologies in the development of gambling problems.
  • Treatment approaches and their effectiveness, from Gambler's Anonymous to cognitive therapy to pharmacology.

This book provides the most up-to-date information available on the prevalence of pathological and problem gambling in the United States, including a look at populations that may have a particular vulnerability to gambling: women, adolescents, and minority populations. Its describes the effects of problem gambling on families, friendships, employment, finances, and propensity to crime.

How do pathological gamblers perceive and misperceive randomness and chance? What are the causal pathways to pathological gambling? What do genetics, brain imaging, and other studies tell us about the biology of gambling? Is there a bit of sensation-seeking in all of us? Who needs treatment? What do we know about the effectiveness of different policies for dealing with pathological gambling? The book reviews the available facts and frames the intriguing questions yet to be answered.

Pathological Gambling will be the odds-on favorite for anyone interested in gambling in America: policymakers, public officials, economics and social researchers, treatment professionals, and concerned gamblers and their families.

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