Scratch cards and slot machine. An exploratory study on women and consumption profiles

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE
Author/s Roberta Biolcati, Alessio Plona
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2017/2
Language Italian Pages 17 P. 143-159 File size 226 KB
DOI 10.3280/PDS2017-002007
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

Traditionally, the literature has considered the gambling as a male prerogative. The current reality shows a participatory increase of gambling in women. In addition, democratic, traditional and low threshold games that, by their nature, seem mostly targeted on non-traditional gamers such as women, has been less investigated. This study aims to explore characteristics, motivations, gaming behaviours and satisfaction levels in the main areas of life in the female gender, specifically referred to games that the limited literature has shown as more participated by women, namely lotteries (instant lotteries, numerical games with national totalizer, lotto, traditional lotteries) and slot machines. Two questionnaires constructed ad hoc have been administered to 87 women after that they have gambled on lotteries or slot machines in bar/tobacco shops. The results, according with the literature, highlight two profiles of gamblers: women who play hard games (slot machines, video lotteries, instant lotteries) and players of soft games (lotto, numerical games with national totalizer, traditional lotteries) with different socio-demographic characteristics and consumption profiles and different levels of dissatisfaction in their lives.

Keywords: Gambling, feminization of gambling, consumption profiles, lotteries, slot machines.

  1. Boughton R. and Falenchuck O. (2007). Vulnerability and Comorbidity Factors of Female Problem Gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 23: 323-334.
  2. ADM – Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (2016). Organizzazione, attività e statistica. Anno 2015 [Organization, activities and statistics 2015]. Italia.
  3. Barbaranelli C. (2010). Prevalence and correlates of problem Gambling in Italy. In 8th E-ropean Conference on gambling studies and Policy Issues, Vienna. --Retrieved from: http://www.easg.org/media/file/vienna2010/presentations/friday/0930/p5/3_claudio_barbaranelli.pdf
  4. Bastiani L., Gori M., Colasante E., Siciliano V., Capitanucci D., Jarre P. and Molinaro S. (2013). Complex Factors and Behaviors in the Gambling Population of Italy. Journal of Gambling Studies, 29: 1-13.
  5. Bellio G. e Croce M. (2014). Manuale sul gioco d’azzardo. Diagnosi, Valutazione e Tratta-menti [Manual on Gambling. Diagnosis, Evaluation and Treatments]. Milano: Franco-Angeli.
  6. Biolcati R., Passini S. and Griffiths M.D. (2015). All-in and bad beat: professional poker players and pathological gambling. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 13(1): 19-32.
  7. Boni D., Pelloni L., Rivela E. e Bignamini E. (2011). Uno sguardo alle donne che giocano d’azzardo [A look at women playing gambling]. Dal fare al dire, 3: 21-30. --Retrieved from: http://www.giocopatologicopiemonte.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Boni-et-al.pdf
  8. Canale N., Santinello M. and Griffiths M.D. (2015). Validation of the reasons for gambling questionnaire (RGQ) in a British population survey. Addictive Behaviors, 45: 276-280.
  9. Canale N., Scacchi L. and Griffiths M.D. (2016). Adolescent gambling and impulsivity: Does employment during high school moderate the association? Addictive Behaviors, 60: 37-41.
  10. Canale N., Vieno A. and Griffiths M.D. (2016). The Extent and Distribution of Gambling-Related Harms and the Prevention Paradox in a British Population Survey. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(1): 1-9. DOI: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.02
  11. Crisp B.R., Thomas S.A., Jackson A.C., Smith S., Borrell J., Ho W.Y. and Thomason N. (2004). Not the same: a comparison of female and male clients seeking treatment from problem gambling counselling services. Journal of Gambling Studies, 20(3): 283-299.
  12. De Piccoli N. (2015). Psicologia della salute e genere: una relazione tormentata. Situazione attuale e possibili sviluppi [Health Psychology and gender: a troubled relationship. Current situation and possible developments]. Psicologia della Salute, 1: 52-58. DOI: 10.3280/PDS2015-00100
  13. Delfabbro P. and King D. (2012). Gambling in Australia: Experiences, problems, research and policy. Addiction, 107(9): 1556-1561.
  14. Dow Schull N. (2002). Escape Mechanism: Women, Caretaking and Compulsive Machine Gambling, Center for Working Families. Berkeley: University of California.
  15. DPA – Dipartimento Politiche Antidroga (2013). Relazione annuale al parlamento 2013. Uso di sostanze stupefacenti e tossicodipendenze in Italia [Annual Report to the Parliament in 2013. Drugs use and drug addiction in Italy]. Italia.
  16. Gatti F. (2015). Mangiasoldi. Le slot machine spiegate da chi le fa [Slot. Slot machines explained by those who practice them]. Parma: Nuova Editrice Berti.
  17. Georgiou D. (2015). Trends in Gambling Behaviour 2008-2014. Gambling Commission, United Kingdom. --Retrieved from: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Trends-in-gambling-participation-2008-2014.pdf
  18. Giustina L.M., Nucera V., Antonioni M., Pelosi A., Savi E. e Baccelliere C. (2013). Differenze di genere nella tossicodipendenza e nel gioco d’azzardo patologico [Gender diff-rences in drug addiction and pathological gambling]. Italian Journal on Addiction, 3 (2): 31-36.
  19. Grant J.E. and Kim S.W. (2010). Differenze di genere [Gender differences]. In Clerici M., a cura di, Il gioco d’azzardo patologico [Pathological gambling]. Milano: Springer, pp. 89-99.
  20. Grant J.E., Odlaug B.L. and Mooney M.E. (2012). Telescoping phenomenon in pathological gambling: Association with gender and comorbidities. Journal of nervous and mental disease, 200(11): 996.
  21. Hing N. and Breen N. (2001). Profiling lady luck: an empirical study of gambling and problem gambling amongst female club members. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17 (1): 47-69. DOI: 10.1023/A:101664033200
  22. Hing N., Russell A., Tolchard B. and Nower L. (2014). A comparative study of men and women gamblers in Victoria. North Melbourne: Victoria Responsible Gambling Fundation.
  23. Hing N., Russell A., Tolchard B. and Nower L. (2016). Risk factors for gambling problems: An analysis by gender. Journal of Gambling Studies, 32: 511-534. DOI 10.1007/s10899-015-9548-8
  24. Husky M.M., Michel G., Richard J.B., Guignard R. and Beck F. (2015). Gender differences in the associations of gambling activities and suicidal behaviors with problem gambling in a nationally representative French sample. Addictive Behaviors, 45: 45-50.
  25. Mark H.E. and Leisure H.R. (1992). A feminist critique of problem gambling research, British Journal of Addiction, 87 (4): 549-565.
  26. McCormack A., Shorter G.W. and Griffiths M.D. (2014). An empirical study of gender differences in online gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 30(1): 71-88.
  27. Nower L. and Blaszczynski A. (2010). Gambling motivations, money-limiting strategies and precommitment preferences of problem versus non-problem gamblers. Journal of Gam-bling Studies, 26(3): 361-372.
  28. Ladoucer R., Sylvain C., Boutin C. and Doucet C. (2000). Le jeu excessif: comprendre et vaincre le gambling [Excessive play: understanding and defeating gambling]. Montréal: Les Editions de l’Homme (trad. it. Il gioco d’azzardo eccessivo. Vincere il gambling. Torino: Centro Scientifico Editore, 2003).
  29. Luceri B. and Vergura D.T. (2015). I cavalli vincenti del gambling: uno studio esplorativo su motivi e credenze dei giocatori [The winning horse of gambling: an exploratory study of motives and beliefs of the players]. Micro & Macro Marketing, 24 (1): 65-84. DOI: 10.1431/7972
  30. Pavarin R.M. and Biolcati R. (2015). Women between normality and dependence: a study of problematic consumption and dependence in women aged 30-50 years. Journal of Sub-stance Use, 20(2): 143-150. DOI: 10.3109/14659891.2013.87875
  31. Potenza M., Steinberg M.A., McLaughlin S.D., Wu R., Rounsaville B.J. and O’Malley S.S. (2001). Gender-Related differences in the characteristics of problem gamblers using a gambling helpline. American_Journal of_Psychiatry, 158 (9): 1500-1505.
  32. Piquette-Tomei N., Dwyer S.C., Norman E., McCaslin E. and Burnet J. (2007). Women Problem Gamblers Want More. Saskatchewan Notes, 10 (5). --Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/10133/436
  33. Raisamo S.U., Mäkelä P., Salonen A.H. and Lintonen T.P. (2014). The extent and distribution of gambling harm in Finland as assessed by the Problem Gambling Severity Index. European Journal of Public Health, 25(4): 716-722.
  34. RGAC ‒ Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre (2011). Women and Gambling: Issues of difference, Melbourne. --Retrieved from: https://www.responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/ __data/assets/pdf_file/0017/8054/RGAC-Discussion-Paper-Women-and-Gambling.pdf
  35. Serpelloni G. e Rimondo C. (2012). Gioco d’azzardo problematico e patologico: inquadramento generale, meccanismi fisiopatologici, vulnerabilità, evidenze scientifiche per la prevenzione, cura e riabilitazione [Problematic and pathological gambling: general overview, pathophysiological mechanisms, vulnerability, scientific evidence for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation]. Italian Journal on Addiction, 2: 3-4.
  36. Sica S.L. and Aleni S.L. (2016). Tra distress e agentività: il difficile percorso di consolidamento identitario nelle narrazioni di giovani adulti inoccupati o precari [Between distress and agency: The difficult path of identity consolidation in narratives of young adults unemployed or precarious]. Psicologia della Salute, 1: 111-131. DOI: 10.3280/PDS2016-00101
  37. Suetens S. and Tyran J.R. (2012). The gambler’s fallacy and gender. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 83(1): 118-124.
  38. Svensson J. (2013). Gambling and gender. A public health perspective, Österund: Mittuniversitetet.
  39. Tavares H., Zilberman M.L., Beites F.J. and Gentil V. (2001). Gender differences in gambling progression. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17 (2): 151-159. DOI: 10.1023/A:101662051338
  40. Toneatto T. and Wang J.J. (2009). Community treatment for problem gambling: sex differences in outcome and process. Community Mental Health Journal, 45 (6): 468-475.
  41. Volberg R. (2003). Has there been a “feminization” of gambling and problem gambling in the United States? Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues, 4: 10-41.
  42. Wardle H., Moody A., Griffiths M., Orford J. and Volberg R. (2011). Defining the online gambler and patterns of behaviour integration: Evidence from the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010. International Gambling Studies, 11(3): 339-356. DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2011.62868
  43. Wenzel H.G. and Dahl A.A. (2009). Female pathological gamblers ‒ A critical review of the clinical findings. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 7(1): 190-202.

Roberta Biolcati, Alessio Plona, Gratta e vinci e slot machine. Uno studio esplorativo su donne e profili di consumo in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 2/2017, pp 143-159, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2017-002007