The notion of structural effects in gaming machine play is increasingly gaining importance in the gambling literature. The development of gaming machines in Australia has seen a large number of machine characteristics become an inherent part of poker machine play. However, there is an absence of studies examining their effect. Two studies were undertaken examining the relationship between the structural characteristics of poker machines and player expenditure patterns. The first study examined aggregated player data from over 1000 poker machines. The results suggest that both measures of expenditure utilised, stake size and net profit, are related to structural characteristics. This finding provided a foundation for the theoretical discussion of individual player behaviour encompassing both learning and cognitive paradigms. The second study examined the expenditure patterns of 533 individual players in an ecologically valid setting. The results indicate that player stake size is related to certain structural characteristics but player net loss is not. These results failed to support the predictions of operant conditioning. A model of structural effects is proposed and the theoretical implications for future studies of gaming behaviour are discussed / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-48). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR38829

This thesis is studying the current global as well as Czech gambling industry with the focus on internet gambling activities. The work begins with the description of various gambling activities. The focus is taken on the internet gambling activities with description of the specifics and the current European as well as US legal frame. Next part is dedicated to the psychology of gambling together with the pathological gambling addiction. In next part the thesis studies the current situation on the Czech market - history, main official legal providers as well as main grey market providers. Second part of the work is the case study of the launch of the internet lottery games by Fortuna Entertainment Group. This case study is based on a desk research of previous successful best practices in the internet gambling industry from all around the world.