Gamblor’s World

Go to the below website to find the following articles:
http://www.gamblingwatch.org.nz/index.asp?PageID=2145820069

GamblingWatch
PO Box 5188, Hamilton
email: gamblingwatch@xtra.co.nz
ph: 021-477 388
fax: 07-824 5033

This section includes original research, reports of local and overseas research (and links to other sites containing research), submissions, analysis of statistics and speeches by politicians & others.

RESEARCH REPORT

Latest research on the Nova Scotia trial of a “Responsible Gambling Device” (smart card), Tracy Schran (January 2007) - available at: http://www.nsgc.ca/pdf/Focal%20Research%20Report%20_2_.pdf
World Count of gambling machines, Ross Ferrar, AGMMA (December 2006): http://www.agmma.com/pdf/World%20Count%20of%20Gaming%20Machines%20July-06.pdf
Report of the NZ Gambling Commission into the Proposed Problem Gambling Levy (December 2006): click on http://www.gamblingcom.govt.nz/GCwebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Reports-Publications-Proposed-Problem-Gambling-Levy-(December-2006)!OpenDocument
Nevada Smoking & Gambling Study (Pritsos, University of Nevada, 2006)
Problem Gambing Prevalence Report (South Australia, November 2006)
Unbalanced Reel Machines (Falkiner & Horbay, October 2006)
Problem Gambling in New Zealand: Analysis of the 2002/03 New Zealand Health Survey.(NZ Ministry of Health, August 2006)
Problem Gambling Geography of New Zealand and the Problem Gambling Analysis of the Health Survey (NZ Ministry of Health, August 2006)
Harrahs 2006 Survey: Profile of the American Casino Gambler
The Physical & Psychological measurement of gambling environments (Finlay, Kanetkar, Londerville & Marmurek), July 2006
Gambling with our Kids’ Future (Arlene Moscovitch, The Vanier Institute of the Family), June 2006
Key findings of the Australian National Survey of Gambler Precommitment Behaviour 2005 (McDonell, Phillips Pty Ltd) June 2006
Alcohol, other drug use, and Gambling among Australian Capital Territories workers in the building & related trades (Bamwell, Dance, Quinn, Davies & Hall) April 2006
Community Impacts of Electronic Machine Gambling (Part A) Final Report (Commissioned by:The former Victorian Gambling Research Panel; Prepared by: The SA Centre for Economic Studies, January 2006)
Evaluating Implementation of a Voluntary Responsible Gambling Code in Queensland, Australia, Published online June 6, 2005

Inquiry into Smartcard Technology (South Australian Independent Gambling Commission, June 2005)

Inquiry into effectiveness of Gambling Rehabilitation Programmes (South Australian Independent Gambling Commission, June 2005)

Aggressive Behaviour in Adult Slot-Machine Gamblers: A Qualitative Observational Study, (May 2005)Adrian Parke and Mark Griffiths, Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom

Minnesota Gambling Report (April 2005) Gambling is a multi-faceted, multi-billion dollar industry in Minnesota. Through attempts to legalize, regulate, and manage gambling activities, state government has been actively involved in the history of gambling in Minnesota.

Newfoundland & Labrador Gambling Project Report (January 2005) - a report from the Addictions Treatment Services Association on VLT gambling in Newfoundland/Labrador, Canada.

Review of Research on Aspects of Problem Gambling - for UK Problem Gambling Trust (Final Report), October 2004. Authors:Professor Max Abbott, Dr Rachel Volberg, Dr Maria Bellringer, Dr Gerda Reith.

Alison Penfold - Presentation on Thesis ‘Gambling with your Life’ - Gambling & Suicide (May 2004) Full Thesis available on www.acts.co.nz - PROBLEM GAMBLING AND SUICIDE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROBLEM GAMBLING, ALCOHOL MISUSE AND SUICIDE IN A POPULATION PRESENTING FOLLOWING AN EPISODE OF SELF-HARMA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, 2004. Abacus Counselling and Training Service Ltd
The Changing EGM Industry and Technology - Discussion Paper from Latrobe University, Melbourne (August 2004)
The Problem Gambling Committee’s Report on the 2003 National Problem Gambling Statistics (April 2004)
The Ministry of Health consultation document Preventing and Minimising Gambling Harmincludes: Strategic Plan 2004-2010, Needs Assessment, Proposed Three-Year Funding Plan, and Proposed Problem Gambling Levy Rates (March 2004) - link to pdf file
The Waitakere City gambling action group surveyed local residents in late 2003 on their views and attitudes towards pokies and pokie bars (WAGA, February 2004) - pdf file
Bendigo Economic Study (LaTrobe University Centre for Sustainable Regional Development) pdf file
A New Retirement Hazard (Sean Sullivan)
Where are funds from pokie machines in NZ distributed (Simonsen/Grant - GamblingWatch) pdf file
High School Youth Gambling survey (Sean Sullivan)
Manukau City Social Impact Report, 2003 pdf file
Pokie funds distributed in 2002, by region & sector (Simonsen/Grant - GamblingWatch)
‘Tatts targets the vulnerable’ (article by Royce Millar, with link to original report)
Report on funding from 4 major pokie trusts (GamblingWatch, 2001)
Victorian Suicides During the Year 2000
LINKS TO OTHER RESEARCH SITES:

USA link to research info: http://www.keith-thomas.info/Gambling%20Research%20Reference.htm

STATISTICS, etc.

Gambling Expenditure in NZ 1982-2006
Pokie Machine Numbers in NZ by Local Authority (including casinos): March 31 2006
2004 National Problem Gambling Statistics (released November 2005)
The Problem Gambling Committee’s Report on the 2003 National Problem Gambling Statistics(April 2004)
Comparison of casino & non-casino pokie trust grants (GamblingWatch, March 2004)
Gambling Losses in NZ over the years (Dept of Internal Affairs, December 2003)
Statistical reports from NZ Gambling Treatment Services (Problem Gambling Cttee, 2000, 2001, 2002)
Phone Helpline statistics (Problem Gambling Committee, February 2003)
Pokie Machine Numbers from June 1994 - June 2003 (Dept of Internal Affairs, September 2003)
Problem Gambling Factsheet (Ministry of Health, 2003)
Pokie machine update (Dept of Internal Affairs, September 30, 2002)
More statistical reports available on ‘How Many Pokies in Your Patch’ page

ARTICLES, etc.

Where’s the Consumer protection? - Ian Scott (November 2006)
“Is Gambling Addiction an Impairment?” - Australian Employment case, Lucienne Mumme (October 2006)
The following articles from Journal of gambling studies June 2006 are available as pdf files if you would like to request them from me: glenda.northey@pgfnz.org.nz

Gill . Factors associated with gamblers: a population-based cross-sectional study of South Australian adults
Rychtarik. Preliminary evaluation of a coping skills training program for those with a pathological gambling partner
Delfabbro. It?s not what you know, it?s how you use it. Statistical knowledge and adolescent problem gambling
Bergevin. Adolescent gambling: Understanding the role of stress and coping
Hustead. Is speeding a form of gambling in adolescents
Nelson. The proxy effect: Gender and gambling problem trajectories of Iowa Gambling Treatment program participants
Potenza. Characteristics of older adult problem gamblers calling a gambling helpline
Zimmerman. Prevalence and diagnostic correlates of DSM IV pathological gambling in psychiatric outpatients

UK article on the legal principles of restitution - relating to a court ordering a casino to return monies illegally gambled
Responsible Gambling Features of Card-Based Technologies (Sharen Nisbet), International Journal of Mental Health & Addictions (Dec., 2005): http://www.ijma-journal.com/issues/issue/3/2
Double Jeopardy: Older Women and Problem Gambling (Christine McKay), International Journal of Mental Health & Addictions (Dec., 2005): http://www.ijma-journal.com/issues/issue/3/2
An Insider’s Look Into the Process of Recovering From Pathological Gambling Disorder: An Existential Phenomenological Inquiry (Gary Nixon & Jason Solowoniuk), International Journal of Mental Health & Addictions (Dec., 2005): http://www.ijma-journal.com/issues/issue/3/2
Does Gambling Advertising Contribute to Problem Gambling? (Mark D. Griffiths), International Journal of Mental Health & Addictions (Dec., 2005): http://www.ijma-journal.com/issues/issue/3/2
Report on Problem Gambling in Hamilton (Alison Leask, OASIS, March 2005)
Social Banditry - Poker machines & Poverty in Victoria (James Doughney, Marxist Interventions, January 2005)
Gambling & Suicide in Canada (Canada Safety Council, December 2004)
On Line Gaming and Problem Gambling Review (August 2004)
The Tug of the Newfangled Slot Machines (Gary Rivlin, New York Times, May 2004)
When smoking is beyond a joke - ethics check on pokie venues (Victorian Interchurch Gambling Taskforce, October 2003)
Local Govt & Gambling Law (Gaming News Magazine, August 2003)
Pokie funding research shows cash missing welfare target (GamblingWatch, April 2003)
Summary of Problem Gambling Bill (Dept of Internal Affairs, December 2002)
Gambling in Australia (Svenson, 2002)
Gambling in Canada (The Economist, 2002)
Snapshot of pokie trust fund distribution (GamblingWatch, 2002)
SPEECHES, PRESENTATIONS & SUBMISSIONS

Interview with Funeral Director on the incidence of gambling-related suicides (Russell Phillips, 28 July 2006)
NZ Gambling Act: One Year On: Presentations to Auckland (AUT) Gambling Conference by Andrew Secker & John Markland (June 2005)
NZ Parliament Regulations Review Select Committee rejects complaints by Gambling Industry over machine interrupters (May 2005): link to: http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport.aspx?Year=&Cat=17&CatName=Regulations&Order=
Sue Torkington (GamblingWatch) Submission to NZ Parliamentary Select Committee on ‘Pop-up’ Interruptions on Pokie machines, April 2005
Papers from University of Alberta (Canada) Gambling Conference, March/April 2005)
Sue Bradford MP speech on Gambling Amendment Bill 2004, December 2004
GamblingWatch presentation to the 3rd Auckland International Gambling Conference (includes analysis of how pokie trust & club pokie profits are spent), May 2004
GamblingWatch submission on Ministry of Health Problem Gambling Strategy paper, April 2004
Jim Anderton MP, speech to Clubs NZ Conference 21/3/04
Peter Dunne MP, speech to NZ Gaming Expo 20/3/04
Sue Torkington, Wntn Regional Public Health submission to Wairarapa local authorities on gambling venue policies, 12/3/04
GamblingWatch submission to Dept of Internal Affairs on new regulations, Feb 2004
Dave Macpherson, GamblingWatch presentation to HANZ Conference, 5/10/03 (pdf)
Gambling in Victoria, Australia - presentation by Charles Livingstone (LaTrobe University) to the Sept 2003 Intrenational Gambling Conference in Auckland
Tariana Turia MP, speech to September, 2003 International Gambling Conference
Sue Bradford MP, speech to Parliament on the Responsible Gambling Bill, 12/8/03
GamblingWatch Submission to DIA on Pokie Trust Admin expenses (June 2003)
Robin Gwynn, Napier activist, radio column, 26/1/03
PRESENTATIONS TO, AND MATERIAL FROM, 2004 COMMUNITY ACTION ON GAMBLING CONFERENCE (August/September)

Setting the scene - what’s happening in New Zealand (Dave Macpherson, GamblingWatch) 446kb pdf
Strategies & Actions in Timaru (Maree Kearns) 18kb pdf
Links in a Chain that Binds (Sue Torkington, GamblingWatch) Part 1 - 1.36mb ppt; Part 2 - 1.39ppt
Distribution of Pokie Trust Funding (Hope Simonsen) 44kb pdf
Regulations, Rules & Community Rights (Keith Manch, DIA) 260kb pdf
Levying the Industry - fixing the problem, or fobbing off the community? (Debbie Edwards, MoH) 244kb pdf
Local Venue policies - are they worth the paper they are printed on? (Sue Zimmerman, Manukau City Council) 797kb pdf
Review of Australian gambling action & reflections on the NZ situation (Sue Pinkerton, South Australian activist) 43kb pdf
Educating the Public (Sue Torkington) 936kb pdf
Report on Asian Problem Gambling Services 2004 (John Wong, Problem Gambling Foundation) 147kb pdf
Local Government venue policies - keeping the good & fixing the bad (Richard Northey & Jules Garland, Problem Gambling Foundation) 530kb pdf
NZ POLITICAL PARTY GAMBLING POLICIES (click on party below)

National Party

Green Party

Labour Party: view the Gambling Act at http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.NSF/Files/act0351/$file/act0351.pdf

GOVT EXPERT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PREVENTING & MINIMISING GAMBLING HARM

Minutes of meeting held on 20th October 2005
Minutes of meeting held on 14th February 2006
Minutes of meeting held on 15th June 2006
Minutes of meeting held on 19th October 2006
OTHER INFORMATION

Department of Internal Affairs: www.dia.govt.nz (handles regulations and licenses for casinos & pokie bars and collects statistical information on gambling in New Zealand [see Info from the Media button]

Please click on this link to go directly to the regulations page:

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Casino-and-Non-Casino-Gaming-Regulations?OpenDocument

The Department has updated fact sheets 22 Harm Minimisation, 27 ProblemGambling, and 29 Racing Industry to include information on the regulations The fact sheets are available on the Department’s website. Please click on this link to go directly to the fact sheets page:

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Casino-and-Non-Casino-Gaming-Fact-Sheets-(Gambling-Act-2003)?OpenDocument

Last Updated: Monday, February 26, 2007 | 7:32 AM ET
CBC News
Ontario’s provincial gambling operator has pulled 87 video slot machines out of service or physically removed them from its casinos after a CBC investigation found what appear to be subliminal messages flashing at players.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming, the recently rebranded Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., is concerned about three games on video slots made by a company called Konami. It shut them down as a precaution on Friday, and is looking into the issue.

Every time this video lottery game is played, it briefly shows a jackpot result.
(CBC) The games flash winning jackpot symbols at players for a fifth of a second, long enough for the brain to detect even if the players are not aware of the message, some psychologists told CBC News.

It’s not clear if messages are influencing gamblers’ behaviour. That would take further testing, experts said.

But players who stick to a machine are seeing a winning image every two seconds, the time it takes for one spin, and that concerns Roger Horbay, an electronic gaming specialist who has treated hundreds of problem gamblers.

“I think it’s part of them trying to make their games more attractive to the players to keep them at the game longer so their machines are more profitable,” he said.

continued …. http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/02/25/video-lottery.html

QuickTime
http://www.cbc.ca/clips/mov/to_vlt_subliminals070223.mov
Real Media
http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-hi/to_vlt_subliminals070223.rm

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/185693

ONTARIO REMOVES SLOTS w SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES (Penn Nat’l)

PENN NATIONAL runs CASINO RAMA which is one of the casinos with these slots.)
=====================================================================
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/02/25/video-lottery.html
Ontario removes video slot machines flashing winning images
Last Updated: Monday, February 26, 2007 | 7:32 AM ET
CBC News
Ontario’s provincial gambling operator has pulled 87 video slot machines out of service or physically removed them from its casinos after a CBC investigation found what appear to be subliminal messages flashing at players.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming, the recently rebranded Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., is concerned about three games on video slots made by a company called Konami. It shut them down as a precaution on Friday, and is looking into the issue.

Every time this video lottery game is played, it briefly shows a jackpot result.
(CBC) The games flash winning jackpot symbols at players for a fifth of a second, long enough for the brain to detect even if the players are not aware of the message, some psychologists told CBC News.

It’s not clear if messages are influencing gambler’s behaviour. That would take further testing, experts said.

But players who stick to a machine are seeing a winning image every two seconds, the time it takes for one spin, and that concerns Roger Horbay, an electronic gaming specialist who has treated hundreds of problem gamblers.

“I think it’s part of them trying to make their games more attractive to the players to keep them at the game longer so their machines are more profitable,” he said.

However, Konami, the company behind the games, said the jackpot symbols are a technical problem that it is fixing.

“It is simply a software glitch that our engineers have identified in four game titles, and we have identified [that] three of those titles have been shipped into Canada,” said Konami spokesman Steve Sutherland.

“The company is not going to risk its licensing to do this. It is purely a software error that the company is fixing.”

The game titles with the symbols are: Most Wanted, Sergeant Fritter and Billionaires. (A fourth called Sticks and Stones has only had limited release in the United States.)

But OLG, similar bodies in other jurisdictions and the Ontario gaming regulator, are all taking the messages seriously.

“Well, we are going to take a look at it further and see if there really is anything that we need to do and we will take the appropriate action,” said Sukhi Grewal, head of game testing at the regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

U.S. states consider pulling games

Gaming Laboratories International, the private lab in the U.S. that tests slot machines for most states, is investigating as a direct result of the CBC story, and many U.S. state casino commissions are looking at whether to pull the machines there, president James Maida said.

In Canada, British Columbia followed Ontario’s lead last Friday and pulled a handful of the types of machines that flash the winning symbols. But after doing tests to ensure they are still paying out at the normal rates, they’re back on the gambling floor.

Quebec has about 150 machines made by Konami, and is checking to see if any of them have the games with the winning jackpot symbols.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces either have no Konami games, or the games on their Konami slots don’t have the symbols.

As part of research for this story, CBC News went to several Ontario casinos to videotape about 20 different types of slot machines. There didn’t appear to be any symbols flashing — until the video was slowed down. Then it became clear that the three games contained winning jackpot symbols.

While the effects are uncertain, problem gamblers complain that the machines affect how they think, electronic gaming specialist Horbay said. They can’t pinpoint the problem, but “this may be part of what they believe is messing up their heads,” he said.

OLG pulled 25 Billionaires, 37 Most Wanted and 25 Sergeant Fritter games from casino slot parlours at race tracks, as well as Casino Rama, Casino Niagara, and Fallsview Casino in Niagara. The province has a total of 1,373 Konami machines

Consumer Advisory

OLG has temporarily deactivated three slot games in our casinos and slot facilities. This impacts a total of only 87 slot machines out of 22 thousand slot machines in the province.

The machines, which are manufactured by the Konami Gaming company, are:

“Most Wanted”

“Sgt. Fritter”

“Billionaires”

We apologize for any inconvenience however given the fact only 87 machines are affected; we feel the disruption will be minimal and temporary. We also want to assure you that the issue with this limited number of machines is not related to the integrity of the machines or your ability to win.

At issue is the spinning wheel animation at the start of play on these machines. It briefly displays a jackpot winning combination during the spin cycle before the animation ends. This jackpot combination is not visible to the naked eye during regular play and can only be seen when the animation is drastically slowed down.

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience.

Lottery Fraud Alert/Consumer Protection

This Web site is for the use of consumers in Ontario, who meet the minimum age requirements

(at least 18 years of age in the case of lottery, and 19 years of age in the case of gaming).

at http://www.olgc.ca/slots-casinos/consumer_advisory/index.jsp

Australia report commissioned by:
The former Victorian Gambling Research Panel

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/aipc/cdih/projects/egm.pdf

The Independent - UK

By Abigail Townsend
Published: 11 February 2007

“Tax revenues should be siphoned off to help fund the battle against problem gambling, according to a leading government body.

Under the proposal, a percentage of the taxes the Government collects from gambling companies would go directly to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust.

Set up five years ago on the recommendation of the Budd Report, which also backed reform of the UK’s antiquated gambling laws, the trust funds such charities as GamCare and education and research projects.

It currently gets its money from the gambling industry on a voluntary basis but has so far struggled to raise the sums it needs. Its chairman, John Greenway MP, said that while some, such as the big bookmakers and online giant PartyGaming, were big donors, others were less forthcoming.”

article continued ….

The NZ Herald -

5:00AM Monday February 26, 2007
By Angela Gregory

“Some Chinese students are gambling for days on end and ending up homeless while others treat it like a professional job, a new settlers conference at Auckland University has been told.

Wendy Li, who is researching Chinese international gambling for her masters degree at Waikato University, said some students had admitted gambling from 10 hours up to three days in a row.

“They’ll take a couple of minutes out for a snack and stay in their cars.”

Such self-diagnosed problem gamblers preferred casino tables to the pokies as they had higher returns and involved more skills.

Ms Li said the gambling had badly affected their studies, finances and health. “Some have experienced homelessness and approached loan sharks.”"

article continued ….

Miama Herald

Mexico City-based broadcaster Televisa said it will invest $60 million this year into its gaming business, mostly into electronic lottery machines.
BY IOAN GRILLO
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY

“Mexican media conglomerate Televisa, better known for its Spanish-language soap operas and its stable of pop stars, said Thursday it plans a big expansion in a new, potentially lucrative business: gaming.

Executive Vice President Alfonso de Angoitia said in a conference call that the Mexico City-based company will invest $60 million this year into its gaming business, mostly into new electronic lottery machines.

Launched earlier this month, Grupo Televisa’s gaming business now has 3,500 machines in pharmacies and convenience stores across Mexico and plans to have 10,000 by the end of the year, De Angoitia said.”

article continued ….