Gambling as Work: A Study of German Poker Players.

The study addresses the question whether professional gamblers can be considered an occupational group from a sociological perspective. It combines survey data on poker players from the German state North Rhine-Westphalia with sociological theory in order to explain the oxymoron of professional gambling. The descriptive analysis of the survey data is supplemented by ego-centric network data of the poker players to analyze whether hobby and professional players maintain different forms of social relationships.

The Effect of Inequality and Prosperity on the European Market for Gambling Machines: A Socioeconomic Panel Analysis.

This study examines the potential influence of prosperity and inequality on gambling participation in Europe. We combined data from the Eurostat database, the Global Wealth Report, and the European Casino Association and estimated fixed effects panel regression models. We show that income inequality has a negative effect on the number of gambling machines that flattens for high values, while wealth inequality has a linear negative effect.

Gambling and financial markets a comparison from a regulatory perspective.

This article discusses similarities between the finance industry and the gambling industry. It considers empirical studies from both fields and compares both industries with regard to possible substitution effects. Afterwards, the current regulatory approach to gambling and financial markets is discussed.