Motivations of Pathological Gamblers

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Based on information from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), the National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) states that there are two and a half million individuals who fall into a state defined as a pathological gambler, another three million are considered problem gamblers, and roughly fifteen million more could be considered “at-risk” (NORC, 1999). A pathological gambler is one who has a severe uncontrollable urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. This project proposes to address the need to keep a casino patron from developing a pathological or compulsive gambling problem. The project will entail investigating the driving factors for a person gambling themselves into problems and committing actions such as robbery, prostitution, drug use and sales, extortion, and murder.

This societal problem is an important concentration for information technology because of the need for problem gambling regulation. A problem gambler falls into a different category of addictive nature. Instead of being dependant on a chemical or other substance, the individual is addicted to a certain procedure or rush. This rush is brought on by an increase of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These natural highs promote the individual to continue gambling even though they are experiencing financial losses. Although there are individuals who are at higher risk of developing a gambling addiction because they have an addictive behavior, anyone can become a pathological or problem gambler (Daily News 2009). Even though the behavior of an individual with a gambling addiction is in part due to the psychological nature of the brain, how the gambler develops this addiction follows a similar path.

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...have a form of regulating and preventing gambling addiction during game play. This concept that the casinos should owe an ethical form of gambling regulation is something that is not widely practiced. There are many steps a casino takes in guaranteeing themselves you will maximize your gambling experience, such as hiring psychologists to design game, floor, and building layouts to entice and individual to gamble more. But very rarely do is it seen that a casino takes precautions to help protect the individual from developing a gambling addiction from these highly addictive. This concept of providing an ethical source of regulation is exactly what the proposed information technology will accomplish for casinos. Specifically regulating the individuals gambling ability will prevent them from believing in the “Gambler’s Fallacy” or that the next win will be the big one.

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