The Role of Practice Theory in the Analysis of Gambling
A popular pastime for many people, gambling involves risking money or other valuables on an event where the outcome is a matter of chance. It is possible to gamble on events such as lottery draws, online poker games, casino games and sports matches. While gambling is often associated with thrill and excitement, it also carries significant risks. Those who become addicted to gambling are at greater risk of other mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, as well as financial difficulties. Despite its prevalence, gambling remains a controversial subject, with some groups advocating for its legalisation and others campaigning to ban it.
The emergence of new forms of gambling such as mobile betting and fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) has made it increasingly difficult to design appropriate harm reduction strategies. This has been compounded by the fact that these new forms of gambling are heavily marketed, and utilise various spaces and social surroundings. This new landscape of gambling has been facilitated by a relaxation of regulations and the growth of global gambling corporations and their devices.
Consequently, it is important that the field of gambling research stays abreast of the developments in this domain. It is crucial that we understand the complexities of these emerging practices, and develop effective harm reduction strategies.
Gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry that is growing at an unprecedented rate. The rise of the internet and the advent of mobile gambling has given people the opportunity to gamble from anywhere in the world. This is creating a huge social and economic problem. People are putting more and more money into gambling, and the risk of addiction is on the rise. Pathological gambling is now recognised as a serious disorder and it is the only behavioural addiction that has been formally classified by the American Psychiatric Association in its fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is estimated that pathological gambling costs society about $80 billion per year, and it is thought that it affects nearly one million people in the United States alone.
A comprehensive analysis of gambling requires a consideration of its multiple dimensions, including: the nature and characteristics of the various games, the impact of advertising and marketing, and the ways in which these activities are shaped by different contexts and cultures. A practice theory perspective offers a good framework for this type of study, given its emphasis on the idea that social practices are rarely performed in isolation. Instead they are typically bundled together with other social practices such as drinking and socialising with friends.
When it comes to gambling, it is important that we create boundaries for ourselves. We should only spend a certain amount of money and once that amount is gone we should stop playing. This is not easy, particularly in casinos where there are no clocks to keep track of time. A simple way to do this is by allocating a set amount of money each week to gambling and sticking to that.