2012 archive

New publication: Why people gamble

My article Why people gamble: A model with five motivational dimensions has been published in the journal International Gambling Studies (update: 2013, vol. 13, no. 1, pp 81-97). The conceptual model presented in the article sums up much of what I observed during my year of field studies in Swedish gambling settings, what I have read about …

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Gambling, religion and hope

Gambling and religion are competitors on a ”market for hope”. That is the main argument of an article by German scholar Mark Lutter, published in the journal Soziale Problem and recently made available on the internet. The article can be downloaded here: M. Lutter, 2011, Konkurrenten auf dem Markt für Hoffnung: Religiöse Wurzeln der gesellschaftlichen …

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Recommended summer reading

Now when it’s vacation, research progresses at a more leisurely pace. I had planned to spend much of the summer boating and fishing here in Gothenburg, but since there has been much rain and strong winds the opportunities for this have been limited. The photo shows one of the few sea trouts I have caught …

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The story of Swedish gambling policy

One might think that the modern history of Swedish gambling policy is a dry and boring subject. But it is actually exciting, with plenty of fascinating stories about political maneuvering and corporate power struggles. It also tells a lot about politics, society and culture in modern Sweden. The story of Swedish gambling policy is told …

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A trip to Helsinki

I spent most of last week in Helsinki together with gambling scholars. In Finland, social science research on gambling is vigorous and more extensive than in the other Nordic countries. This is to a great extent thanks to the Finnish Foundation for Gaming Research and its director Pauliina Raento. The foundation funds gambling research and …

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