This thesis explores gambling as a leisure activity and consumption experience. Casino development in South Africa - formerly illegal in the country - is occurring at an unprecedented rate. In 1996. the new democratic Govemment passed legislation to allow up to forty casinos to be developed throughout South Africa. This was viewed as a means of developing tourism as well as the input of revenue into the country's economy. South Africa's gambling industry is now similar to that of the United States and Australia. Starting with remotely situated casinos, accessible primarily to upper income clientele, legislation has softened to allow for the licensing of casinos within the major urban areas of this country. This has led to casino gambling being accessible to thousands of people, those who can afford to indulge in this leisure activity and those who cannot. This thesis explores the engineering of space to create an atmosphere of compulsion, and the response of communities given access, for the first time, to casino gambling close to home. The second legal casino in KwaZulu-Natal, the "SugarMill Casino", opened on 2 February 2001, on a temporary site in Mount Edgccombe, north of Durban, adjacent to the predominantly Indian suburb of Phoenix. Phoenix was planned and developed in 1976, as a residential area for the low-income Indian population. Therefore, the location of this casino has been subject 10 much criticism. This study looks at the symbolic economy of the SugarMill casino in terms of the symbols used in marketing the casino as well as its architectural symbolism. The symbolic economy of the casino uses locally based ' cultural capital ' to create a space of compulsion, through space planning and marketing campaigns. Although the casino has only being in operation for a short time, an important aim of this thesis is to determine whether these strategies are working and why. The perceptions and attitudes of Phoenix residents towards the casino, their use of and expenditure at the facility as well as the creation of problem or compulsive gamblers are explored. The importance of gambling in relation to other leisure activities is also assessed. The findings of this study suggest that the architectural theme and symbols as well as the marketing campaigns employed by the SugarMill casino have been successful in attracting gamblers to the casino because the majority of respondents have visited the casino and gambled there. Whilst gambling is not the main leisure activity that respondents engage in, it is certainly a significant form of leisure since forty-eight percent of the sample cited gambling as their main leisure activity. Reasons for this vary but contribut ing factors include the accessibility of the casino in close proximity to their homes as well as the general lack of a variety of recreational alternatives in Phoenix. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Addiction to drugs is a widely acknowledged problem in South Africa. Newer developments in the study of addiction include behaviours such as gambling and sex as part of a broader syndrome. International research has established that most people with one addiction are at risk for co-occurring addictions which are frequently undiagnosed and untreated. Multiple addictions (MA) have been shown to combine in specific patterns to produce addiction interaction disorder (AID) resulting in a more complex, treatment- resistant illness. This was the first study South Africa to investigate if people with substance use disorders had other addictions. The research had three aims: to establish if in-patients admitted to three drug rehabilitation centres had other addictions, to investigate the extent of the MA and AID and to determine whether the treatment programmes managed them appropriately. The study employed the mixed methods research design and was located at three in-patient facilities in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. During the first phase, discussion groups were held with professionals that explored their perceptions of MA, AID and current treatment programmes. The second phase involved a survey of 123 participants screened for poly-substance abuse, sex (including internet) addiction and problem gambling. The third phase utilised in-depth interviews with 25 participants displaying MA to understand the development of addiction, AID and treatment received. The data were analysed utilising descriptive and statistical analysis for the survey data, and thematic analysis for the in-depth interviews and discussion groups. The study found a high incidence of MA within the survey population of 54%; 37% of participants tested positive or at risk for problem gambling and 41% tested positive for sex addiction with 24% of the participants being positive for both. In-depth interviews revealed high rates of trauma, especially for the female participants and demonstrated the complex interrelationship between addictions. AID was identified in all 25 participants. In KwaZulu- Natal, it appears that MA and AID are currently not being assessed or treated. The study highlights the need for a broader conceptualisation of addiction which would improve current assessment and treatment and has implications for further training of professionals and addiction policy in South Africa. / Ph.D. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.