This study is an exploration, through ethnographic and auto-ethnographic inquiry, of the personal world, gambling experiences and underlying biopsychosocial vulnerabilities of three individual case studies - one male and two females - each representing a different sub-type of pathological gambler. It comprises the integration and implementation of a psycho-structural stage matching model to explore comorbidity and identify certain biopsychosocial manifestations in the respective stages of pathological gambling. Long term treatment strategies were identified and patient treatment matching was explored. Further, it comprises my personal relationship and therapeutic treatment of these sub-types of gamblers over a period of one year and longer. In this study it is hypothesized that formulating appropriate matching long term treatment strategies should be based on the stage of change, the phase in the psycho-structural model, as well as the gambler's underlying vulnerability. From this a comprehensive gambling disposition profile can be completed with proper intervention matching approaches. A number of other hypotheses emerged from this study that could provide valuable information and serve as a guideline to those working with pathological gamblers. / Psychology / D.Phil.

Arbetet har sin bakgrund i att Malmö stad under de senaste åren delar ut datorer till bland annat eleverna i de kommunala gymnasieskolorna. Arbetet har även sin grund i forskningen kring TV- och dataspelsbruk. Arbetet syftar till att undersöka hur Malmös kommunala gymnasieskolor arbetar för att uppmärksamma negativt bruk av TV- och dataspel bland sina elever. Vidare att undersöka hur de kommunala gymnasieskolorna i Malmö arbetar för att stödja de elever som fastnar i ett negativt bruk av TV- och dataspel. Arbetet syftar även till att undersöka hur yrkesverksamma inom kommunala gymnasieskolor, definierar ett negativt bruk av TV- och dataspel. I studien användes en kvalitativa design med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuer har genomförts med fyra kuratorer som arbetar vid olika kommunala gymnasieskolor i Malmö. Resultatet i detta arbete har analyserats utifrån teorin kring socialkonstruktivism och diskuterats med tidigare forskning inom ämnesområdet TV- och dataspelsbruk. Arbetet visar bland annat att de kommunala gymnasieskolorna inte har något specifikt arbete kring frågan om negativt TV- och dataspelsbruk, utan utgår från ett generellt förhållningssätt för att uppmärksamma negativa förändringar bland sina elever. Vidare erbjuder skolorna stöd i form av samtalskontakt till de elever som har ett negativt bruk av TV- och dataspel. Resultatet visar även att de intervjuade definierar ett negativt bruk av TV- och dataspel utifrån de eventuella konsekvenser som drabbar individen av dennes spelande. / This work has its origin in that the city of Malmö in recent years, have been handing out computers to e.g. students in the municipal high schools. The work also has its basis in research on TV- and computer game use. This work aims to investigate how Malmo's municipal high schools work to pay attention to negative use of TV- and computer games among their students. Furthermore, to investigate how the local high schools in Malmö work to support those students who get stuck in a negative use of TV- and computer games. The work also aims to examine how professionals in the municipal high schools, defines a negative use of the TV- and computer games. The study used a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews . Interviews were conducted with four counselors working at various municipal high schools in Malmö. The results of this work have been analyzed based on the theory of social constructivism and discussed with previous research in the subject area TV and computer game use. The work shows that the municipal high schools do not have any specific work on the issue of negative TV and computer games use, but is based on a general attitude to notice negative changes among their students. Further schools offers support in the form of dialog-contact with those students who have a negative use of the TV- and computer games. The result also shows that the respondents define a negative use of TV and computer games based on the possible consequences faced by the individual of his or her gambling.

With the exception of horse racing, any form of gambling was criminalised in South Africa until the dawn of constitutional democracy in 1994. In the same year, the Lotteries and Gambling Board Act, 1993, came into force decriminalising, amongst others, casinos and gambling games within the Republic. This Act has since been repealed and gambling is governed by the National Gambling Act, 2004, as well as by provincial gambling laws. Interactive / online gambling is illegal pending authorisation by a national legislation. Such legislation, the National Gambling Amendment Act, 2008, seeking to regulate interactive gambling awaits proclamation of the date of its commencement by the President. The National Gambling Policy, 2016, dashes any hope of regulation of interactive gambling, however, as it seeks to embargo the introduction of (new) forms of gambling, including but not limited to interactive gambling. The scourge of problem gambling and the protection of traditional forms of gambling, that is, casinos, are the main reasons for advocating for the continued prohibition of interactive gambling. Problem gambling is not unique to interactive gambling, but affects all modes of gambling. South Africa is among countries with a high rate of problem gambling. It is feared that interactive gambling will exacerbate the scourge of problem gambling as gamblers with access to the internet will now have unlimited gambling opportunities around the clock. On the other hand, interactive gambling offers practical solutions to the implementation of harm minimisation strategies to deal with problem gambling such as limitations on gambling deposits, losses and time. Prohibition of interactive gambling is difficult to enforce and deprives the country of an opportunity to control, through licensing, this mode of gambling and possible benefit from taxation and licensing fees. It further exposes gamblers – who despite prohibition choose this mode of gambling – to unregulated and illegal gambling websites. This thesis attempts to provide safeguards for regulation of interactive gambling and to embrace the benefits of the technological development that makes interactive gambling a reality. The United Kingdom (UK) is a prime example of a country that has successfully legalised and licensed interactive gambling in its jurisdiction. / Criminal and Procedural Law / LL. D.