The Anthropology of Gambling

The value of anthropological gambling research is discussed in a forum in the journal Suomen Antropologi (2011, vol. 36, no. 1). The issue was published this spring but came to my attention only a few days ago. The forum contains short articles by five Finnish scholars. It is an excellent introduction to how anthropologists can …

The prevalence of gambling problems in Sweden remained largely unchanged between 2009 and 2010. There was a trend towards lower prevalence – down from 2.2 percent to 1.9 percent – but it was not statistically significant. Gambling problems were defined as respondents scoring three points or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The …

Gambling, Space, and Time: Shifting Boundaries and Cultures is a new book from the University of Nevada Press. It includes a chapter on Swedish horse betting, written by me. About the book “The eight essays in Gambling, Space, and Time use a global and interdisciplinary approach to examine two significant areas of gambling studies that have not …

“Perspektiv på spelande och spelproblem” (Perspectives on gambling and problem gambling) is the title of a recent publication (in Swedish) from the Swedish National Institute of Public Health (SNIPH). It is an easy to read booklet that shows the breadth of today’s gambling research and presents a number of different perspectives on gambling. The publication …

“Why people gamble” (or something similar) is the title of one of my most appreciated lectures. It is in demand by gambling companies, treatment agencies and at a variety of academic meetings and conferences. Last Thursday I delivered the lecture to a group of gambling regulators from the Nordic countries, at a seminar organized by …