This article outlines the results of a recent Australian survey of gambling, problem gambling, and gambling-related crimes among offenders. The research found that 34% of participant offenders had some form of gambling problem. This figure is 18 times higher than that found in the general population in the same Australian location. Many problem gamblers identified in the survey had not sought help for gambling and felt they didn’t have a problem or were in control of their gambling. In addition, many survey participants said that their gambling was not problematic despite some admissions that they had committed gambling-related crimes. A significant implication of this study follows that offenders with gambling problems need to be offered therapeutic services while in the correctional system to reduce the prevalence of gambling problems and the commission of gambling-related offences.
Abbott, M., & McKenna, B. (2000). Gambling and problem gambling among recently sentenced women prisoners in New Zealand (New Zealand Gaming Survey Report No. 4). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Internal Affairs.
2.
Abbott, M., McKenna, B., & Giles, L. (2000). Gambling and problem gambling among recently sentenced males in four New Zealand prisons (New Zealand Gaming Survey Report No. 5). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Internal Affairs.
3.
American Psychological Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
4.
Anderson, D. (1999). Problem gambling among incarcerated male felons. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 29, 113-127.
5.
Andrew, N., Asimacopoulos, K., Dimovski, D., & Haydon, D. (1997). Who’s holding the aces?Alternative Law Journal, 22, 268-272.
6.
Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling. (2002). Pathological gambling, probation, and parole: An educational program. Unpublished manuscript.
7.
Australian Institute of Gambling Research. (1997). Definition and incidence of problem gambling, including the socio-economic distribution of gamblers. Sydney, Australia: University of Western Sydney, Australian Institute of Gambling Research.
8.
Australian Institute of Gambling Research. (2001). Survey of the nature and extent of gambling and problem gambling in the ACT. Sydney, Australia: University of Western Sydney, Australian Institute for Gambling Research.
9.
Australian Institute for Gambling Research & the Labour and Industry Research Unit. (1996). Problem gambling and criminal behaviour in Queensland: A report of the second year of the study into the social and economic impact of the introduction of gaming machines to Queensland clubs and hotels. Brisbane, Australia: Department of Families, Youth and Community Care.
10.
Battersby, M., Thomas, L., Tolchard, B., & Esterman, A. (2002). The South Oaks Gambling Screen: A review with reference to Australian use. Journal of Gambling Studies, 18, 257-271.
11.
Bland, R., Newman, S., Orn, H., & Stebelsky, G. (1993). Epidemiology of pathological gambling in Edmonton. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 38, 108-112.
12.
Blaszczynski, A. (1994). Criminal offences in pathological gamblers. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 1, 129-138.
13.
Blaszczynski, A., & McConaghy, N. (1992). Pathological gambling and criminal behaviour. Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology.
14.
Blaszczynski, A., & McConaghy, N. (1994). Criminal offences in Gamblers Anonymous and hospital treated pathological gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 10, 99-127.
15.
Blaszczynski, A., & Silove, D. (1996). Pathological gambling: Forensic issues. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 30, 358-369.
16.
Brown, R. (1987). Pathological gambling and associated patterns of crime: Comparisons with alcohol and drug addictions. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 3, 98-114.
17.
Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice. (2000). The impact of gaming and crime statistics. Caulfield East, Australia: Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice.
18.
Crofts, P. (2002). Gambling and criminal behaviour: Analysis of local and district court files. Sydney, Australia: Casino Community Benefit Fund.
19.
Dickerson, M., & Baron, E. (2000). Contemporary issues and future directions for research into pathological gambling. Addiction, 95, 1145-1159.
20.
Dickerson, M., Baron, E., Hong, S., & Cottrell, D. (1996). Estimating the extent and degree of gambling related problems in the Australian population: A national survey. Journal of Gambling Studies, 12, 161-178.
21.
Doley, R. (2000). Want to make a bet? Gambling and crime in Australasia. (Critical Issues in Policing Paper No. 4). Marden, Australia: Australian Centre for Policing Research.
22.
Gustafson, A. (2004, June 15). Inmates get help to break gambling habits. Statesman Journal. Retrieved June 21, 2004, from http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm
23.
Jackson, A., Thomas, S., Thomason, N., Borrell, J., Crisp, B., Ho, W., et al. (1999). Analysis of clients presenting to problem gambling counselling services July 1997 to June 1998 (Client and Service Analysis Report No. 4). Melbourne, Australia: Melbourne University, School of Social Work.
24.
Jackson, A., Thomason, N., Ryan, V., & Smith, S. (1997). Analysis of clients presenting to problem gambling services from July 1, 1995-June 30, 1996 (Client and Service Analysis Report No. 1). Melbourne, Australia: Melbourne University, School of Social Work.
25.
Jones, G. (1989). The prevalence and characteristics of prisoners with gambling related problems in Canning Vale Remand Centre. Perth, WA: Department of Corrective Services.
Lepage, C., Ladouceur, R., & Jacques, C. (2000). Prevalence of problem gambling among community service users. Community Mental Health Journal, 36, 597-601.
28.
Lesieur, H. (1977). The chase: Career of the compulsive gambler. New York: Anchor Books.
29.
Lesieur, H. (1987). Gambling, pathological gambling and crime. In T. Galski (Ed.), The handbook of pathological gambling. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
30.
Lesieur, H., & Blume, S. (1987). The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS): A new instrument for the identification of pathological gambling. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1184-1188.
31.
Lesieur, H., & Klein, R. (1985). Prisoners, gambling and crime. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Las Vegas, NV.
32.
Maden, T., Swinton, M., & Gunn, J. (1992). Gambling in young offenders. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 2, 300-308.
33.
Marshall, M., Balfour, R., & Kenner, A. (1999). Pathological gambling: Prevalence, type of offence, comorbid psychopathology, and demographic characteristics in a prison population (Submission No. 116 to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Australia’s Gambling Industries). Retrieved April 14, 2003, from http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiry/gambling/subs/sub116.pdf
34.
McCorkle, R. (2002). Pathological gambling in arrestee populations (Final Report Prepared for National Institute of Justice). Las Vegas, NV: Department of Criminal Justice.
35.
National Gambling Impact Study Commission. (1999). National gambling impact study commission report. Washington, DC: Author.
36.
Powell, L. (2001). Gambling information and counseling services: Service profile. eGambling, 4. Retrieved June 14, 2003, from http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue4/profile/index.html
37.
Powis, J. (2002). Problem gambling prevalence survey 2002. Brisbane, Australia: Department of Corrective Services.
Ricketts, R., Bliss, P., Macdonald, H., & Rayner, C. (2000). The extent of gambling among offenders on probation. Sheffield, UK: Community Health Sheffield National Health Service Trust, Specialist Psychotherapy Services.
40.
Rose, I. (2003). The world’s only gambling court. The Wager. Retrieved June 12, 2003, from http://www.thewager.org/pasteditorials.htm
41.
Rosenthal, R., & Lorenz, V. (1992). The pathological gambler as criminal offender: Comments on evaluation and treatment. Clinical Forensic Psychiatry, 15, 647-660.
42.
Rossen, F. (2001). Youth gambling: A critical review of the public health literature. Auckland, New Zealand: University of Auckland, Centre for Gambling Studies.
43.
Sakurai, Y., & Smith, R. (2003). Gambling as a motivation for the commission of financial crime (Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice No. 256). Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology.
44.
Shaffer, H., Freed, C., & Healea, D. (2002). Gambling disorders among homeless persons with substance use disorders seeking treatment at a community center. Psychiatric Services, 55, 1112-1117.
45.
Smith, G., Wynne, H., & Hartnagel, T. (2003). Examining police records to assess gambling impacts: A study of gambling-related crime in the city of Edmonton. Retrieved June 14, 2003, from http://www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta.ca/documents/research/Gambling_and_crime.pdf
46.
Sproston, K., Erens, B., & Orford, J. (2000). Gambling behaviour in Britain: Results from the British gambling prevalence study. London: National Centre for Social Research.
47.
State of Louisiana. (2003). Adult/juvenile drug courts. Frequently asked questions about Gambling/Drug Court programs. Retrieved December 3, 2003, from http://26thda.org/drugcourts.html
48.
Templer, D., Kaiser, G., & Siscoe, K. (1993). Correlates of pathological gambling propensity in prison inmates. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 34, 347-351.
49.
Victorian Government. (2003). Loddon Prison joins the fight against problem gambling. Retrieved August 11, 2003, from http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/0/2e2e028a57a607fdca256d6b007c52ef?OpenDocument
50.
Volberg, R. (2004). Fifteen years of problem gambling prevalence research: What do we know? Where do we go?eGambling, 10. Retrieved May 12, 2004, from http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue10/ejgi_10_volberg.html
51.
Walker, M. (1996). The medicalisation of gambling as an ‘addiction.’ In, J. McMillen (Ed.), Gambling cultures: Studies in history and interpretation (pp. 223-242). London: Routledge.
52.
Walters, G. (1997). Problem gambling in a federal prison population: Results from the South Oaks Gambling Screen. Journal of Gambling Studies, 13, 7-24.
53.
Walters, G., & Contri, D. (1998). Outcome expectancies for gambling: Empirical modelling of a memory network in federal prison inmates. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14, 173-191.
