The third Gambling Conference was held at the Ateneum Hall in Helsinki
(September 26, 2013). I had the pleasure to welcome great researchers and
thinkers on the behalf of THL (National Institute for Health and Welfare).
It is important to hear from the latest studies and share ideas with each other.
Gambling research is still in the making in Finland and it can get stronger by
learning from researchers who have been in the field for a longer time.
The first session focused on France. Virve Pöysti (researcher, PhD student,
University of Helsinki, FIN) compared French and Finnish online gambling
operation. It seems that France has discovered a way to maintain national
gambling operation despite the presence of licensed foreign online gambling
operators.Could this be the future of European gambling monopolies? Jeanne
Piedallu (PhD student, Paris Descartes University, FR) made us discover
secret poker gatherings, which are considered illegal in France. Gaming hosts
invite new poker players through online poker forums. Hosting a poker game
allows the person to benefit from a rake (and even make money), while
the players can play poker among 'disciples'. Piedallu was able to enter a very
masculine domain - chapeau!
In the second session the theme was public good. Professor Risto Eräsaari
(University of Helsinki, FIN) lead us in a theoretical universe to show us
the meaning of gamification in social life. Through Bruno Latour's, Georg
Simmel's and Norbert Elias's thoughts he analyzed different possible
conceptions of the term. In the 'code society' norms, values and clear roles
prevail, but in a postmodern society nothing is the same. When clear
roles disappear, performance becomes almost a mandatory way of living.
What is the name of the game then? In my presentation, I focused on cross
border gambling. Finland's Slot Machine Association will open its second
casino on the Finnish-Russian border. The border casino is an interesting case,
because it refers to gambling policy and regulatory differences in two countries.
What does EU legislation say about cross border gambling?
The third session emphasized the controversy of the responsibility issue
in the gambling field. Professor Linda Hancock (Deakin University, AU)
examined responsible gambling in Crown casino. One of the most
interesting themes of her lecture was the concept of informed choice.
How is it possible to make this type of choice, if the gambler is 'in the zone'?
Informed choice should be the basis of responsible gambling. Another
interesting topic was the issue of recognizing a problem gambling.
Should every casino have a 'Code of conduct in responsible gambling"?
Of course, but responsibility should also be part of every country's gambling
policy. Then Dr. Sytze Kingma (senior lecturer, VU University Amsterdam, NL)
continued on responsible gambling by using the example of Unibet.
Responsible gambling has many definitions and thus it has become a
controversial concept. In "The Gambling Complex", Kingma (2002)
has shown how the moral meaning of gambling has changed. According to
the prohibition model, gambling is a sin. The alibi model represents
gambling as a vice, and the risk model makes gambling look like
entertainment. Should we talk about "responsibilized" companies
and policies instead of responsible gambling as a matter of fact?
The last session was about politics and policies. Dr. Heidi Sinclair (research
fellow, University of Capetown, ZA) started with history: in South Africa
gambling was illegal until 1996 (except sports betting), but today there are 40
licensed casinos and 47 percent of the population gamble. The National
Responsible Gambling Programme started in 2000. Sinclair talked about the
first country-wide treatment study for pathological gambling. About 78 percent
of the participants were employed, and only about 18 percent unemployed. The
majority of the participants preferred casino gambling (slot machines and
table games). Pathological gambling had a serious impact on family and home life
of male and female respondents. Work life was less harmed by pathological
gambling behavior. The study had many interesting themes (e.g. family life)
that should be integrated in other surveys like the Finnish Gambling Survey.
Dr. Belle Gavriel Fried (faculty member, Bob Shapell School of Social Work,
University of Tel-Aviv, IL) closed the conference with the unique example of
casino gambling in Israel. Suddenly gambling was something else than a vice, a
disease or a bit of fun: gambling was situated in a political context, where
cultural values and social norms prevail, and the fear of terrorism is always
present. It is quite unusual (at least in Europe) to relate gambling to terrorism.
But despite social, cultural, and religious differences, Israelis and Palestinians
gambled for a while in Oasis Casino. What a peculiar place to meet?
Virve, Jeanne, Risto, Linda, Sytze, Heidi and Belle: thank
you so much for making this conference a success!
Helena, Minna, Mari and Eija: thank you for making
this conference happen! Without your expertise and kind help
I would be lost.
Crown Casino - Reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255100-d258045-Reviews-Crown_Casino-Melbourne_Victoria.html
Unibet: Social and Responible Gaming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwSL8mhsYcs
National Responsible Gambling Programme (South Africa):
http://www.responsiblegambling.co.za
Oasis Casino in Jericho:
http://blog.toursinenglish.com/2012/03/jericho-tour-casino.html
(September 26, 2013). I had the pleasure to welcome great researchers and
thinkers on the behalf of THL (National Institute for Health and Welfare).
It is important to hear from the latest studies and share ideas with each other.
Gambling research is still in the making in Finland and it can get stronger by
learning from researchers who have been in the field for a longer time.
The first session focused on France. Virve Pöysti (researcher, PhD student,
University of Helsinki, FIN) compared French and Finnish online gambling
operation. It seems that France has discovered a way to maintain national
gambling operation despite the presence of licensed foreign online gambling
operators.Could this be the future of European gambling monopolies? Jeanne
Piedallu (PhD student, Paris Descartes University, FR) made us discover
secret poker gatherings, which are considered illegal in France. Gaming hosts
invite new poker players through online poker forums. Hosting a poker game
allows the person to benefit from a rake (and even make money), while
the players can play poker among 'disciples'. Piedallu was able to enter a very
masculine domain - chapeau!
In the second session the theme was public good. Professor Risto Eräsaari
(University of Helsinki, FIN) lead us in a theoretical universe to show us
the meaning of gamification in social life. Through Bruno Latour's, Georg
Simmel's and Norbert Elias's thoughts he analyzed different possible
conceptions of the term. In the 'code society' norms, values and clear roles
prevail, but in a postmodern society nothing is the same. When clear
roles disappear, performance becomes almost a mandatory way of living.
What is the name of the game then? In my presentation, I focused on cross
border gambling. Finland's Slot Machine Association will open its second
casino on the Finnish-Russian border. The border casino is an interesting case,
because it refers to gambling policy and regulatory differences in two countries.
What does EU legislation say about cross border gambling?
The third session emphasized the controversy of the responsibility issue
in the gambling field. Professor Linda Hancock (Deakin University, AU)
examined responsible gambling in Crown casino. One of the most
interesting themes of her lecture was the concept of informed choice.
How is it possible to make this type of choice, if the gambler is 'in the zone'?
Informed choice should be the basis of responsible gambling. Another
interesting topic was the issue of recognizing a problem gambling.
Should every casino have a 'Code of conduct in responsible gambling"?
Of course, but responsibility should also be part of every country's gambling
policy. Then Dr. Sytze Kingma (senior lecturer, VU University Amsterdam, NL)
continued on responsible gambling by using the example of Unibet.
Responsible gambling has many definitions and thus it has become a
controversial concept. In "The Gambling Complex", Kingma (2002)
has shown how the moral meaning of gambling has changed. According to
the prohibition model, gambling is a sin. The alibi model represents
gambling as a vice, and the risk model makes gambling look like
entertainment. Should we talk about "responsibilized" companies
and policies instead of responsible gambling as a matter of fact?
The last session was about politics and policies. Dr. Heidi Sinclair (research
fellow, University of Capetown, ZA) started with history: in South Africa
gambling was illegal until 1996 (except sports betting), but today there are 40
licensed casinos and 47 percent of the population gamble. The National
Responsible Gambling Programme started in 2000. Sinclair talked about the
first country-wide treatment study for pathological gambling. About 78 percent
of the participants were employed, and only about 18 percent unemployed. The
majority of the participants preferred casino gambling (slot machines and
table games). Pathological gambling had a serious impact on family and home life
of male and female respondents. Work life was less harmed by pathological
gambling behavior. The study had many interesting themes (e.g. family life)
that should be integrated in other surveys like the Finnish Gambling Survey.
Dr. Belle Gavriel Fried (faculty member, Bob Shapell School of Social Work,
University of Tel-Aviv, IL) closed the conference with the unique example of
casino gambling in Israel. Suddenly gambling was something else than a vice, a
disease or a bit of fun: gambling was situated in a political context, where
cultural values and social norms prevail, and the fear of terrorism is always
present. It is quite unusual (at least in Europe) to relate gambling to terrorism.
But despite social, cultural, and religious differences, Israelis and Palestinians
gambled for a while in Oasis Casino. What a peculiar place to meet?
Virve, Jeanne, Risto, Linda, Sytze, Heidi and Belle: thank
you so much for making this conference a success!
Helena, Minna, Mari and Eija: thank you for making
this conference happen! Without your expertise and kind help
I would be lost.
Crown Casino - Reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255100-d258045-Reviews-Crown_Casino-Melbourne_Victoria.html
Unibet: Social and Responible Gaming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwSL8mhsYcs
National Responsible Gambling Programme (South Africa):
http://www.responsiblegambling.co.za
Oasis Casino in Jericho:
http://blog.toursinenglish.com/2012/03/jericho-tour-casino.html
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