Definition and measurement of chasing in off-course betting and gaming machine play.

The attempt to recover gambling losses by continuing to gamble ('chasing') has featured prominently in accounts of excessive gambling. This research represents the first attempt to operationalize and measure chasing in terms of its cognitive (behavioral intention), emotive (urges) and behavioral components, and to investigate the role of chasing in relation to impaired control over gambling. Two survey samples of 84 male off-course (betting shop) race gamblers (mean age 41, SD = 15) and 137 gaming machine players (73 females, mean age 48, SD = 15 and 64 males, mean age 43, SD = 16) were recruited at gambling venues.

Alcohol Consumption and Self-Control of Gambling Behaviour.

This paper reports the results of a preliminary investigation into whether the drinking of alcohol contributes to impaired control of gambling behaviour. The sampling method consisted of a two-phase survey design, collecting data both prospectively 'within session' and retrospectively via a take-home questionnaire. One hundred sixteen people were interviewed while in a gaming venue playing on an electronic gaming machine (egm) of whom 34 men and 11 women also returned take-home surveys.

Attentional bias and addictive behaviour: automaticity in a gambling-specific modified Stroop task.

Aims: This study examined the relationship between attention and gambling behaviour by measuring the level of Stroop interference towards gambling-related words in a group of regular poker machine players.

Design: A 3 x 2 repeated measures experimental design was employed. The type of word presented (neutral, drug or gambling) was the within-subjects factor and the level of impaired control (high or low) over gambling behaviour was the between-subjects factor.

Impaired control over gambling in gaming machine and off-course gamblers.

Aim: To investigate and compare subjectively reported impaired control in two forms of gambling: off-course Totalizator Agency Board (TAB) horse/dog racing and electronic gaming machines (EGMs). Additionally, gender differences in EGM play were investigated.

Design: A survey sample of 84 male TAB gamblers and 137 EGM players (73 females and 64 males) was recruited at gambling sites.