Gamblor’s World

http://news. sawf.org/Lifestyle/ 39061.aspx

Posted on Monday, 25 June 2007 (EST)

OSLO (AFP) - In a bid to combat gambling addiction, the Norwegian state
has declared a monopoly on all slot machines and has given humanitarian
organisations, volunteer groups and sporting clubs until July 1 to
remove their machines from bars, supermarkets, airports, gas stations
and other locations.

Apparently the charities, embarassed at the harm they have been
causing, have agreed to the move. The new machines, to be operated by
Norsk Tipping, the state lottery monopoly, will be less “aggressive” .

see article …

from http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070624/tc_nm/addiction_videogames_dc_1&printer=1;_ylt=AtaXCrGaowz9GvVrnObpxQJU.3QA

By Julie Steenhuysen
Sun Jun 24, 7:55 PM ET

Doctors backed away on Sunday from a controversial proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder akin to alcoholism, saying psychiatrists should study the issue more.

Addiction experts also strongly opposed the idea at a debate at the American Medical Association’s annual meeting.

They said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games — a problem that affects about 10 percent of players — could be considered a mental illness.

“There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn’t get to have the word addiction attached to it,” said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

continued ….