A growing body of evidence has established that smoking and gambling frequently co-occur. Despite high rates of co-occurrence, few studies have attempted to examine the extent to which nicotine can directly affect gambling behaviour. This dissertation further explores the relationship between smoking and gambling through a secondary data analysis and two laboratory-based experiments. First, a secondary data analysis was conducted using epidemiological data collected from a gambling prevalence survey in Newfoundland and Labrador. The results from this analysis revealed several associations between smoking and past 12 month gambling. Significant relationships were found between smoking and problem gambling severity scores, use of alcohol/drugs while gambling, money spent gambling, use of video lottery terminals (VLTs), and reasons for gambling related to positive reinforcement/reward and negative reinforcement/relief. Experiment 1 consists of a laboratory investigation of the acute effects of nicotine on subjective and behavioural responses to VLT gambling among gamblers who smoke. Twenty-eight (15 male) regular gamblers who smoke daily took part in two double-blind laboratory sessions where subjective and behavioural responses to gambling were assessed following administration of nicotine inhalers (NI; 4mg deliverable) or placebo inhalers (PI). It was found that NI significantly decreased tobacco-related cravings but did not affect gambling-related cravings, VLT betting, or subjective responses. In Experiment 2, the acute effects of nicotine on subjective, physiological, and behavioural gambling responses were examined in VLT players who smoke following exposure to gambling-related cues. Thirty (20 male) VLT gamblers (identified as ‘moderate risk’ or ‘problem gamblers’) who smoke daily were assigned to a nicotine lozenge (NL; 4mg deliverable) or placebo lozenge (PL) condition. Subjective and behavioural responses were assessed at baseline, following lozenge administration, following neutral cues, and following gambling cues. It was found that NL significantly reduced tobacco-related cravings but didn’t affect gambling-related cravings, the decision to play a VLT, or other subjective responses. The aggregate findings of Experiments 1 & 2 indicate that acutely administered nicotine reduced tobacco-related cravings without increasing the reinforcing value of gambling. These results suggest that use of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) may be a safe option for gamblers who are attempting to quit smoking.

The thesis provides an account of the development and the eventual elimination of the illegal horserace gambling market. Prior to the introduction of totalisators in 1870 bookmakers (bookies) provided the only option for legal on-course horserace gambling. Using an Actor-Network approach (Latour 1986) I track the transformations of totalisators across times and places to provide a historical account of the development and the co-existence of both legal and illegal horserace gambling markets, documenting the 100 year struggle by racing clubs and successive Governments to remove illegal bookmakers from horserace gambling markets. My argument is that the illegal gambling market survived for as long as it did because bookmakers' constructed extensive actor-networks that enabled them to provide a faster and more accessible betting service to punters. A significant feature in their survival was also the public and police tolerance of their presence. I argue that no one actually 'kills the bookies'. At each stage in the transformation of the scale and operation of totalisators, punters gradually began to use the services provided by a legal market. I document how the drift of legislation, coupled with technological changes and the establishment of new legal gambling sites, led to the expansion of global legal gambling markets that included sport bookmakers and legal horse racing bookmakers. These developments, especially computerisation, enabled the legal market to expand and reconfigure networks providing flexible, real and online access points for betting. These developments ultimately eliminate the comparative advantages of the local illegal bookmakers and bring to an end the illegal horserace gambling market.

No description available.

As gambling becomes more accessible, problems associated with gambling have begun to affect ever increasing numbers of youth. Despite legal restrictions in some jurisdictions, Internet gambling is undergoing a massive worldwide expansion. The relationship between the convenience, anonymity, and the 24-hour availability of Internet gambling and problem gambling in young people presents a serious concern. This study explored Internet gambling in a sample of university students aged 18 to 20 years. Students reported on their involvement in gambling activities both on and off the Internet. In the past 12 months, 6.7% of participants had gambled for money on the Internet, with higher rates among males (11.0%) than females (.8%). As well, 39.4% of students reported that in the past 12 months they had played gambling-type games on Internet 'practice' sites, where no money was required to play. Concerns about the possible effects of Internet gambling are raised and possible future directions for research are presented.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2005. / Chair: Richard C. McCorkle. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Psy.D.)--University of Northern Colorado, c2005. / Adviser: David Gonzalez. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2008. / Thesis advisor: Damon Mitchell. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Criminal Justice." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 27-29). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Texas Christian University, 2009. / Title from dissertation title page (viewed June 15, 2009). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanA (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Kiel.