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Despite the continued focus on profiling gambling helpline callers, little is known about the characteristics of callers in Macao. To address this gap, this study aims to investigate the characteristics of problem gamblers calling the helpline in Macao and explore the regional differences between callers from Macao, mainland China, and Hong Kong. Specifically, the study examined their demographics, helpline usage, and gambling-related characteristics. The study used data collected by SKHSSCO between 2015 and 2021. The results showed that, at the aggregate level, the helpline callers in Macao were male, young, and full-time employees. The majority used the telephone and reported problems with casino table games. In addition, the referral rate was relatively low, while the rate of suicidal ideation was comparatively high. The results also revealed that callers from Macao, mainland China, and Hong Kong were notably distinct in these characteristics. The findings shed light on how to increase helpline accessibility and create tailored interventions and prevention efforts to better support individuals affected by problem gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-based gambling prevalence is not well understood since relevant questions are not included in health and disease surveillance studies. The current study sought to estimate the prevalence of internet-based and smartphone app-based gambling, along with casino gambling, in a sample of U.S. young adults and determine if gambling modality was associated with problem gambling symptoms or substance use. The 2022 Rhode Island Young Adult Survey included N = 1,022 students between the ages of 18 to 25 years old who had lived in Rhode Island, with n = 414 lifetime gamblers (40.5%) included in this study. Odds of gambling via a smartphone app and on the internet, respectively, were greater in heterosexual cis-males compared to heterosexual cis-females (OR[95%CI] = 3.14 [1.25,7.91]; OR[95%CI] = 6.30 [2.05,19.3]). Internet gambling amongst employed students was less common than among those who were not a student and not employed (OR[95%CI] = 0.25 [0.06,1.00]). Odds of problem gambling symptoms were higher among those who gambled via a smartphone app (OR[95%CI] = 3.23 [1.21,8.60]). All forms of gambling were associated with alcohol consumption, although the strength of the association was stronger in app and internet gamblers. Casino gamblers were more likely to be high risk marijuana and illicit drug users. The rising availability of app gambling coupled with its social, psychological, and cultural context may presents an alternative pathway to problem gambling. Bans on internet gambling and/or strict guidelines on the frequency of wagers and cash placed per wager, should be considered as viable methods to mitigate associated consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Casino gaming is considered as an entertainment but it may cause financial and psychological burdens to some individuals and their families. Therefore, casino operators have established and deployed responsible gaming policy and practice to mitigate such negative effects. This study explores whether and how responsible gaming policy and practice influences people's casino gaming intention and behavior. Data were collected from 644 Chinese adults in Macao. Results showed that responsible gaming policy and practice significantly influenced people's attitude towards casino gaming (as a legal activity and hobby), subjective norm (for disapproval of casino gaming), and perceived behavior control (for not engaging in casino gaming). Casino gaming intention was positively affected by attitude and negatively affected by subjective norm and perceived behavior control. Casino gaming behavior was positively affected by intention and negatively affected by perceived behavior control. As a whole, responsible gaming policy and practice had a small, negative but significant indirect effect on casino gaming behavior. Implications of the study were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the engagement of player-facing casino employees with GameSense, a responsible gambling (RG) program, and referral of players to GameSense. We surveyed 280 employees across three casinos in Massachusetts that use this RG program as part of their RG strategy. We found that although most player-facing casino employees were aware of GameSense, slightly over half visited a GameSense Information Center, and about two-thirds interacted with a GameSense Advisor. In terms of the reason for visiting, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) revealed three distinct classes: Comprehensive Interests, RG Interests, and Focused Interests. As for those who have yet to visit, LCA two classes emerged: RG Proficiency Beliefs and Tempered RG Proficiency Beliefs. Engaged employees were more likely to refer players to GameSense, highlighting the need for targeted approaches addressing the diverse interests of player-facing employees for engaging or not engaging with GameSense. These findings underscore the importance of have player-facing casino employees engage with RG programming, and targeted approached for engagement, to enhance the efficacy of RG initiatives, and contribute to a more robust RG framework within the gambling industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macau, an internationally renowned gambling city, has experienced rapid growth in casino space expansion and tourism since 2002 when the new Macau SAR government liberalised gambling. Despite the impact of COVID‐19 on the city's economy over the past three years, infrastructure construction and remodelling of casino resorts continue. This study focuses on the spatial production of casino resorts and tourist identity in Macau's Cotai Strip. Methodologically, the study conducts an assemblage analysis to interpret the data collected mainly through participant observation and in‐depth interviews. The research findings show that the Cotai Strip homogenises the human and non‐human elements through the repetitive rhythms of buildings and multi‐tiered enclosed territorialisation. The identity of Macau casino tourists emerges from their interactions with other components within the Strip assemblage. The emerging identity is defined as a post‐postmodern flâneur, characterised by their programmed and controlled tourist activities and their intensified visual sensations and photographic gazes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is primarily the product of the first listed author, who completed it as a student under the direction of the second and third listed authors. In this paper we analyze three progressive betting strategies, each applied to three casino games. The betting strategies considered are Martingale, Paroli, and Fibonacci, each applied to the casino games blackjack, craps, and roulette. The aim of this analysis is to try to identify optimal betting strategies for each game with a given or maximum number of bets placed that pay 1:1. The purpose of this work is not to try to discover methods for “beating the house,” which are already known to not exist, but rather to search for methods for advancing gameplay through a given or maximum number of bets while retaining the possibility of earning a profit. Programming in the computer algebra system Maple, more specifically through the use of a Maplet, which is like an applet but uses (and requires) Maple’s engine, will be used for calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we aimed to provide a comparative examination of at-risk gambling and four types of gambling activities from the standpoint of socioeconomic, demographic and psychological factors. Using data collected from 7,385 adults aged 18–64 from Serbia, we investigated how specific variables contribute to the likelihood of participation in lottery playing, sports betting, casino games, and slot games across the three time frames (lifetime, last year, and last month), and at-risk gambling. Logistic regressions revealed that male sex, ages 18 to 34, drug use, harmful alcohol use, and elevated levels of distress were significant predictors of participation in any point of life in sports betting, casino games, and slot games, and at-risk gambling. Secondary education, residing in an urban area, and harmful alcohol use predicted – across three time frames – the engagement in lottery playing, sports betting, and slot games playing, respectively. Smoking, and specifically heavy smoking, was shown to be predictive of lifetime participation in all types of gambling, while having single marital status and being unemployed emerged as the factors increasing the odds for the last-month slot games playing. Notably, the 18 to 24 age cohort turned out to be the most vulnerable part of the population, as they displayed the largest odds for at-risk gambling, and both lifetime and last-year involvement in sports betting, casino games, and slot games playing. This highlights the necessity of targeted public health interventions for the young adult population and people who experiment or already experience problems related to substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gambling-related harm is a public health issue requiring market regulation and efforts aimed at prevention and treatment. An important consideration for the regulation of gambling is whether certain types of gambling are intrinsically more harmful than others. The present study was a comprehensive investigation of this issue in a nationwide sample of 10,199 Canadian adult gamblers that included 1346 individuals with problem gambling. We investigated (a) the univariate cross-sectional association between individual types of gambling and problem gambling; (b) the cross-sectional association between individual gambling types and problem gambling when controlling for breadth of gambling involvement; (c) the prospective/lagged relationship between participation in different gambling types and future problem gambling; and (d) the self-reports of people with gambling problems concerning the types and modalities they consider to be most problematic. Our collective results indicate that breadth of gambling involvement is a stronger predictor of gambling problems than involvement in any particular type, but that involvement in certain types (electronic gambling machines in particular, and casino table games and online gambling to a lesser extent) does confer additional risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a gambler may occasionally win, continuous gambling inevitably results in a net loss to the casino. This study experimentally demonstrates the profitability of a particularly deceptive casino game: a two-armed antique Mills Futurity slot machine. The main findings clearly show that both non-random and random two-arm strategies, predetermined by the player and repeated without interruption, are always profitable for the casino, despite two coins being refunded for every two consecutive losses by the gambler. We theoretically explore the cyclical nature of slot machine strategies and speculate on the impact of the frequency of switching strategies on casino returns. Our results not only assist casino owners in developing and improving casino designs, but also guide gamblers to participate more cautiously in gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the annual Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup (AHUC) dive that takes place on Santa Catalina Island in California. The event, which has been running for over four decades, involves hundreds of scuba divers cleaning up debris in Avalon Harbor. The article also provides historical information about the island, including its Native American occupation, Spanish colonization, and development as a tourist destination. The Casino building, a prominent landmark on the island, is highlighted for its role in the diving industry and its historical significance. The article concludes by mentioning the success of this year's cleanup and the funds raised for the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber and the Casino Point Dive Park improvement project. [Extracted from the article]

Fossil remains from the latest Messinian of Casino Basin (Tuscany, Italy) are known since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Among the others, the mammal assemblage includes Mesopithecus pentelicus, Tapirus arvernensis, Propotamochoerus provincialis and scarce and poorly preserved remains of a hippopotamid, consisting of a mandibular symphysis fragment, an apical fragment of a lower canine, some isolated lower incisors, a fragmented second upper premolar and a second lower molar. These specimens were initially referred as Hippopotamus hipponensis and later ascribed to the new species Hippopotamus pantanellii (recently reported as Hexaprotodon? pantanellii). However, this attribution has been disputed during the past years. The hippopotamid remains from the Casino Basin are revised here in order to clarify their systematic position and to infer paleobiogeographic and evolutionary patterns within the Mediterranean fossil record of Hippopotamidae. The morphology of the remains collected from the Casino Basin more closely resembles the African than the Asian hippopotamids' lineage and therefore the Tuscan remains should be more properly referred as Archaeopotamus pantanellii. The latter species probably dispersed into Tuscany from the Iberian Peninsula where the presence of Archaeopotamus crusafonti is well documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the transformation of Las Vegas from a mob-run gambling haven to a corporate mecca, juxtaposed with the rise of mobile sports gambling accessibility. Topics include the historical context of gambling, legal frameworks like Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 and the impact of mobile technology on addiction and societal issues.

Introduction: In the last 20 years, gambling has become more and more widespread in Italy. The aim of the present study is to compare the motivations for gambling and the emotions felt while gambling in three different subgroups: scratch card gamblers, slot‐machine gamblers, and casino gamblers. Methods: Three versions of a questionnaire have been distributed in a casino, in scratch card vendors, and slot‐machines venues. All versions included sociodemographic variables, the two‐question Lie‐Bet instrument, a scale for motivations toward gambling, and a list of positive and negative emotions felt while gambling. Results: Participants (N = 425, F 47.5%) are gamblers potentially pathological (N = 162, 38.1%) and not (N = 263, 61.9%). Different games seem connected to different motivations and emotions: the scratch gamblers show less Coping and Social Motivation and experience less Negative Emotion. However, the motivation and emotion most intensely experienced by the gamblers (Enhancement and the Positive Emotions) do not show differences between the different types of games. Conclusion: The pathological gamblers have a more intense and internal connection with the game (have more Enhancement and Coping motives, Positive and Negative Emotion). In sum, our findings support the theoretical hypothesis that gambling can be a tool for regulating emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the relationship between proximity to electronic gambling machines or casino table games within gambling venues and the risk of being a person who experiences gambling problems among participants in a Massachusetts high-risk sample cohort study. The analysis employs data from Wave 2 through Wave 5 of the Massachusetts Gambling Impact Cohort (MAGIC) study conducted from 2015 to 2019. The Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM) was employed to categorize participants as non-gamblers, recreational gamblers, at-risk gamblers, or problem/pathological gamblers. No significant relationship was found between the type of gambler and either table game or electronic gambling machine distance or density for either the wave prior to casino introduction or any of the waves subsequent to casino introduction. Results suggest that the Massachusetts population may be desensitized to some of the potential negative effects of casino proximity due to long-term exposure to casinos in neighboring jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of gambling among the Asian American population, including Southeast Asian immigrants, is well documented. Compared to other forms of gambling, Asians appear to primarily prefer casino gambling. Research suggests cultural factors might contribute to Asians' casino gambling behavior. The leisure field, however, has yet to investigate Asians' casino gambling from a cultural perspective. The purpose of this study was to examine the roles of acculturation and enculturation processes on casino gambling among Laotians. Data were collected through individual interviews with 13 participants whose origins were from Laos. The audiotaped interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and thematically analyzed. The findings indicated that enculturation played a critical role on participants' casino gambling behavior whereas the impact of acculturation was not as clear. Also, casinos afforded participants space to play games, socialize, and enjoy some leisure time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Simulated gambling products, like loot boxes and social casino games, contain gambling elements, but are not classified as gambling. They are available to minors, raising concerns about a "gateway effect" into gambling. This study examined the time course of young people's engagement in simulated and monetary gambling, and associations between simulated gambling and gambling problems and harm. A necessary, although not sufficient, condition for simulated games leading to real money gambling is that simulated play must come first. Method: Participants were 1,026 young adults (aged 18-25 years) who played video games in the last year. They reported the age at which they first took part in seven simulated and twelve monetary gambling products, and current gambling problems and harm. Results: First use of loot boxes and video games with gambling content tended to precede monetary gambling. Forms where gambling is a core gameplay element, such as social casino and demonstration games, tended to follow some monetary gambling forms. Engagement in most simulated gambling products was associated with greater harm from monetary gambling. Discussion: The findings leave open the possibility of a catalyst pathway from youth engagement in loot boxes and games with gambling content to later monetary gambling, but causal psychosocial mechanisms remain unclear. However, a pathway from social casino and demonstration games to monetary gambling appears less likely, which may instead reflect containment or substitution effects. Simulated gambling disproportionately attracts youth who are vulnerable to gambling problems and harm, indicating the need for consumer protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from several census periods, we examine whether the establishment of casinos affects employment in the Prairie Provinces of Canada. Using a standard two-way fixed effects (TWFE) estimator, we find some limited evidence that census subdivisions (CSDs) that opened casinos experienced increases in employment. However, given recent research questioning the robustness of TWFE results in circumstances similar to ours, we use a multi-period Callaway and Sant'Anna difference-in-differences (CSDID) module and find that the estimated employment effects are much reduced. Furthermore, a key hypothesis that employment in CSDs with and without casinos evolved similarly before the establishment of casinos is rejected. This parallel-trends assumption is required to infer a causal relationship regarding the establishment of casinos and changes in employment. A central issue that arises is whether the five-year census period is sufficient to determine whether CSDs with and without casinos have the same event study dynamics. We also find that identifying the benefits of First Nations casinos for First Nations people is challenging because urban reserves do not constitute a separate CSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends our understanding of how casino patrons are affected by COVID-19 restrictions and how they cope by substituting gambling with alcohol consumption. We conducted two studies using a nationwide survey sample collected in Australia during the pandemic lockdown. Study 1 compares the casino patrons with two reference groups (other gambling patrons and non-gambling individuals) and investigates the lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength, and their potential impact on mental health and future prospects. Study 2 applies the stress-response dampening model (SRD) and tests how respondents used alcohol consumption to cope with the lack of access to casinos during the lockdown. The results from Study 1 suggest that lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength have significant negative impacts on anxiety, life satisfaction and post-pandemic outlook. Study 2 finds that casino patrons substituted gambling with alcohol consumption during the lockdown, with increased alcohol consumption negatively related to life satisfaction. Paradoxically, Australian gambling venue owners may not be adversely affected as many also run liquor retail operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous paper, we considered several models of the parlor game baccara chemin de fer, including Model B2 (a 2 × 2 484 matrix game) and Model B3 (a 2 5 × 2 484 matrix game), both of which depend on a positive-integer parameter d, the number of decks. The key to solving the game under Model B2 was what we called Foster's algorithm, which applies to additive 2 × 2 n matrix games. Here "additive" means that the payoffs are additive in the n binary choices that comprise a player II pure strategy. In the present paper, we consider analogous models of the casino game baccara chemin de fer that take into account the 100 α percent commission on Banker (player II) wins, where 0 ≤ α ≤ 1 / 10 . Thus, the game now depends not just on the discrete parameter d but also on a continuous parameter α. Moreover, the game is no longer zero sum. To find all Nash equilibria under Model B2, we generalize Foster's algorithm to additive 2 × 2 n bimatrix games. We find that, with rare exceptions, the Nash equilibrium is unique. We also obtain a Nash equilibrium under Model B3, based on Model B2 results, but here we are unable to prove uniqueness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is one of the first prevalence studies of gambling and problem gambling among casino patrons in Macao. It aims to identify the demographic profile of gamblers and evaluate the extent of problem gambling among casino patrons. Using a convenience sampling approach, over 6,000 people were intercepted in the proximity of casinos and were invited to answer a structured questionnaire anonymously and voluntarily. Among these people 1,352 respondents indicated that they gambled in casinos at least once in the past 12 months. Over 90% (1,228) of the respondents reported that they gambled in Macao's casinos and slot lounges. The three most popular forms of casino gambling were baccarat, Sic Bo, and slot machines. The monthly median expenditure on gambling was HKD 1,845 with a range from HKD 2 to HKD 375,175. The prevalence rates for problem gambling and pathological gambling were 15.1% and 7.1%, respectively. Implications of the study's findings are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an overview of the variational and diffusion quantum Monte Carlo methods as implemented in the casino program. We particularly focus on developments made in the last decade, describing state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo algorithms and software and discussing their strengths and weaknesses. We review a range of recent applications of casino. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States (US). Research over many decades identifies that its etiology is complex, with risk factors operating in multiple domains. One such risk factor is gambling. Over the past three decades, exposure to gambling has increased dramatically in the United States. The aim of this study was to measure the magnitude of the association between casino density and absolute risk of suicide in US counties. Design, Setting, Cases: This spatial panel analysis used data for 3131 counties from 50 US states from 2000 to 2016, for an overall sample of 53 227 county‐year units. Using Bayesian conditional autoregressive Poisson models, we measured incidence rate ratios and credible intervals for the association between the density per population of casinos and other gambling outlets and the incidence of suicide. Measurements: The outcome of interest was counts of suicides. The main exposures of interest were casinos and other gambling outlets. Findings A total of 527 401 suicides occurred during the study period. On average, there was a mean of 1.3 casinos (SD = 9.1) and 1.4 other gambling venues (SD = 5.9) in each county‐year. After controlling for confounding, the incidence rate ratio for casinos was 1.016, and the credible interval was between 1.010 and 1.023. Conclusions: The density of casinos and other gambling venues is positively associated with suicide mortality in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses films "GoodFellas," "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Casino" by director Martin Scorsese that implies similar narrative and stylistic structure on exploration on masculinity, greed and class aspiration. Topics discussed include attempt of GoodFellas to revalorize masculiity during multicultural 1990s, depiction of diverging forms of masculinity in Casino, and emphasis on social mobility advocating for working class.

The defeat in Spain sank the artistic future of an entire generation, after the height of the great cultural creation that took place in the decade 1925-1936. Numerous intellectuals, scientists, plastic artists, creators of varied training and circumstances ended up in the internment camps. Despite the inhumane conditions, their democratic and humanist ideals and the persistence of their anti-fascist convictions facilitated their grouping in common projects. One of these anti-fascist artists, interned in the Argeles sur Mer camp, was Gilberto Corbi Murgui (Casinos, Valencia, 1906-Suresnes, France, 1968. With other inmates, equally militant, he created the magazine La Barraca. He was accompanied by the seal of having been the creator of the PSOE logo between 1939 and 1976, that of the anvil and the feather, indicative of the union of physical and intellectual work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contemporary world, security and safety are significant concerns for any country that wants to succeed in tourism, attracting investors, and economics. Manually, guards monitoring 24/7 for robberies or crimes becomes an exhaustive task, and real-time response is essential and helpful for preventing armed robberies at banks, casinos, houses, and ATMs. This paper presents a study based on real-time object detection systems for weapons auto-detection in video surveillance systems. We propose an early weapon detection framework using state-of-the-art, real-time object detection systems such as YOLO and SSD (Single Shot Multi-Box Detector). In addition, we considered closely reducing the number of false alarms in order to employ the model in real-life applications. The model is suitable for indoor surveillance cameras in banks, supermarkets, malls, gas stations, and so forth. The model can be employed as a precautionary system to prevent robberies by implying the model in outdoor surveillance cameras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gambling, as an uncertain business involving risks confronting casinos, is commonly analysed using the risk of ruin (ROR) formula. However, due to its brevity, the ROR does not provide any implication of nuances in terms of the distribution of wins/losses, thus causing the potential failure of unravelling exceptional and extreme cases. This paper discusses the mathematical model of ROR using Poisson distribution theory with the consideration of house advantage (a) and the law of large numbers in order to compensate for the insufficiency mentioned above. In this discussion, we explore the relationship between cash flow and max bet limits in the model and examine how these factors interact in influencing the risk of casino bankruptcy. In their business nature, casinos operate gambling businesses and capitalize on the house advantage favouring them. The house advantage of the games signifies casinos' profitability, and in addition, the uncertainty inevitably poses a certain risk of bankruptcy to them even though the house advantage favours them. In this paper, the house advantage is incorporated into our model for a few popular casino games. Furthermore, a set of full-range scales is defined to facilitate effective judgment on the levels of risk confronted by casinos in certain settings. Some wagers of popular casino games are also exemplified with our proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The lockdown of sports and gambling venues during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a fear of increased gambling on other online gambling types, with a risk for transfer to more addictive gambling than otherwise. This study aimed to estimate changes in gambling activity during COVID-19-affected periods among all gamblers at a Swedish state-owned gambling operator and to analyse observable sex differences. Methods: This study included gambling tracking data from the Swedish state-owned gambling operator Svenska Spel Sports & Casino (sports betting, online bingo, casino and poker). All individuals (n = 616,245) who gambled at least once from February 10 to July 19, 2020, were included. The study period was divided into four periods according to their expected level of COVID-19 impact on gambling opportunities: one pre-COVID period and three COVID-affected periods (sports cancellation, emerging return of sports, substantial return of sports). Results: Sports betting experienced an apparent decrease, followed by a gradual normalization and an end level substantially below prepandemic levels. For online bingo, gambling levels increased upon sports interruption and then decreased with the return to normality in sports events but remained higher than baseline levels. We observed a similar trend for online poker during the interruption of sports, but with a lower level than baseline levels when sports events normalized. We noticed a trend favouring online casinos during the sports interruption period regarding gambling intensity but not wagering levels. Discussion and conclusions: Dramatic changes in the content of the gambling market may divert some gamblers to other gambling types, but maintained effects could not be demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: It is well understood that engagement with some forms of gambling, like EGMs, is riskier than other forms. However, while reports of associations are common, few studies have attempted to evaluate and compare the relative risk of all available forms, and none have estimated the relative contribution of each form to the total burden of gambling problems (GP) in a population. Methods: Using an aggregated dataset of national and state-based prevalence studies in Australia (N 5 71,103), we estimated prevalence and unique effects of frequency of engagement on each form on GP. Two alternative numerical methods were then applied to infer the relative contribution of each form to the total amount of GP. Results: EGMs are responsible for 51%–57% of gambling problems in Australia, and 90% of gambling problems are attributable to EGMs, casino, race, and sports betting. Casino table games and EGMs are equally risky at the individual level, but the former contribute far less to problems due to low participation. Bingo and lottery play show no statistically detectable risk for GP. Discussion and conclusion: The results illustrate which forms present the greatest population burden and illuminate the reasons why. EGMs have an outsized impact. EGM uniquely combines high risk conditional on play, with a high participation rate and a high frequency of play among participants. This is in contrast to risky but less commonly played casino games, and prevalent but non-risky forms like lotteries. We conclude that EGM regulation should be a primary focus of policy action in Australia. More innovative policy ideas relating to EGMs should be tested due to the disproportionate impact of this product type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social casino games have achieved widespread popularity, and are accessed by more than 85 million people each day. Yet, why people play social casino games is largely unknown. To address this gap, an inductive approach was taken to better understand the motives for playing social casino games, as well as the motives for transitioning from social casino gaming to gambling and vice versa. To this end, 269 social casino gamers were asked to provide a ranked list of their motives for playing social casino games. Additionally, we asked participants their motivations for transitioning from gambling to social casino gaming (n = 202) or vice versa (n = 67). A total of 795, 605, and 201 unique responses describing motives for playing social casino games, transitioning from social casino gaming to gambling, and transitioning from gambling to social casino gaming, respectively, were analyzed using a thematic content analysis. The most frequently endorsed motive for playing social casino games was for enhancement (e.g., fun, challenge). Participants also noted playing to earn rewards, including money, and for social reasons. Several motives linked social casino game play to gambling. These included: to hone gambling-related 'skills', a desire to transition to gambling to win real money, and as a gambling harm-reduction strategy. Motives for playing social casino games did not differ significantly between those who first gambled and then transitioned to social casino gaming and vice versa, suggesting that once people begin playing social casino games, they have similar motives for continued engagement. The present study contributes to understanding the immense popularity of social casino games and their links to gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Betting on Macau: Casino Capitalism and China's Consumer Revolution" by Tim Simpson is a book that provides insights into the contemporary state of Macau and its role in China's consumer revolution. The author explores the history of Macau and its development, focusing on its transformation into a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999. Simpson examines the impact of gambling on Macau's economy, highlighting its status as the world's second-highest GDP and the only legal site for casino gambling in China. The book also delves into the significance of the Venetian, a major integrated resort in Macau, and its representation of China's urbanization. Simpson argues that Macau plays a unique role in China's reform era and the evolution of global capitalism. While the book's argument about the role of gambling in shaping a new leisure-oriented capitalist class in China may be flawed, it offers valuable insights into Macau's potential for influencing the future of global capitalism. [Extracted from the article]

From the arrival of Portuguese colonialism to its present incarnation as the world's biggest gambling center, Macau has long made the most of its liminal position at China's edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case of occupational allergic contact dermatitis in a 34-year-old woman who worked as a casino dealer for 10 years. The woman presented with a progressive dermatitis on both hands, which worsened during work. Patch testing revealed a strong positive reaction to triethylene glycol diacrylate and the blackjack card she handled at work. The blackjack card contained tripropylene glycol diacrylate, which was identified as the cause of the dermatitis. The article highlights the unusual presentation of occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by acrylates in playing cards. [Extracted from the article]

The novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had major impacts on most societies worldwide including the cancelation and postponement of sports events. This has had a major impact on the sports betting industry. The present study is first to investigate the behavior of a sample of online sports bettors before and after COVID-19 measures were put in place by European governments. The authors were given access to the player data by a large European online gambling operator comprising players from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Norway. The behavioral change of the sports bettors before March 7 and after March 7 (2020) was computed. All sports bettors who placed at least one wager in at least 5 calendar weeks out of the 10 possible calendar weeks between January 1 and March 7 (n = 5396) were included in the analysis. Results showed statistically significant reductions among sports bettors wagering in online casinos. This indicates that there was no conversion of money spent from sports betting to online casino games, at least for this particular online gambling operator. The findings suggest that there was a significant decrease in the amount of money wagered by sports bettors during the COVID-19 pandemic (compared with before it) and that sports bettors did not switch to playing more online casino games and that there was also a significant reduction in playing online casino games among sports bettors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, entertainment is one of the biggest industries, which continues to expand. In this study, the problem of estimating the consolation prize as a fraction of the jackpot is dealt with, which is an important issue for each casino and gambling club. Solving the problem leads to the computation of multidimensional integrals. For that purpose, modifications of the most powerful stochastic quasi-Monte Carlo approaches are employed, in particular lattice and digital sequences, Halton and Sobol sequences, and Latin hypercube sampling. They show significant improvements to the classical Monte Carlo methods. After accurate computation of the arisen integrals, it is shown how to calculate the expectation of the real consolation prize, taking into account the distribution of time, when different numbers of players are betting. Moreover, a solution to the problem with higher dimensions is also proposed. All the suggestions are verified by computational experiments with real data. Besides gambling, the results obtained in this study have various applications in numerous areas, including finance, ecology and many others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bantustans were created during the apartheid period of South Africa's history and represented one of the key pillars of planning for 'grand apartheid'. A major challenge was the promotion of economic development in these territories in order to give them a facade of economic legitimacy. Four of the ten Bantustan ethno-states eventually acceded to the grant of 'independence' which created a changed environment for territorial economic development. The article explores a transition in economic development planning by the apartheid state from Bantustan industrialization to a focus on tourism and casino resort developments as a potential driver of Bantustan economic progress. In terms of methods and sources the paper applies an historical approach that blends secondary sources with primary documentary material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how casino operators' responsible gambling program performance changes after entering a third-party assurance program. Using de-identified responsible gambling accreditation data from the 75 casinos employing the "RG Check" program from 2012 to April 2019, this study finds that casino scores improved in the first reaccreditation period (p < :001, d = 0:92), but failed to improve in the second reaccreditation (p < :78, d = 0:38). Much of the first reaccreditation changes appear to be a result of one-time improvement in the scores of lower performing venues. There also appears to be inconsistent improvements in tactical areas of RG programs, as some areas improved over time while others were unchanged or declined. The Friedman test revealed statistically significant increases in scores for RG policies (p < :001); employee training (p < :001); venue/game features (p<:001); and access to money (p<:001). It also revealed a decrease in informed decision making scores (p = :010). The evidence is consistent with accreditation programs being used as a reputation signal rather than a performance management tool. The findings from this study suggest that RG assurance programs lead to some benefit but may not be a source of ongoing and consistent improvement without programmatic changes or other regulatory tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report investigates the understudied group of VIP Hosts in Macao casinos, who cater to high rollers and may be more vulnerable to problem gambling due to their exposure to heavy betting. To comprehensively profile their gambling behaviors and cognitions, we conducted an anonymous online survey using the Chinese Version of South Oaks Gambling Screen (C-SOGS) and the Gambling Fallacies Measure (GFM). Given the difficulty of accessing this population, we employed the snowball sampling technique to recruit eligible participants. Our analysis included data from 41 participants, and the findings revealed high levels of gambling-related cognitive distortions among VIP Hosts. In addition, 83% of the respondents were classified as non-problem gamblers, with 10% of respondents classified as at-risk gamblers, and 7% classified as pathological gamblers. Despite the small sample size, this report offers a preliminary understanding of VIP Hosts' gambling behaviors in Macao, paving the way for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the origins, trajectories and characteristics of the German Casino and the German School in Mexico during the post-revolutionary years that coincide with the rise and fall of the Weimar Republic between 1920 and 1929. It describes their buildings and most important activities during the time that the international relations between Germany and Mexico were having a good coexistence. Nevertheless, it was the preface of the ascent of nazi-fascism in Germany with all its racism and intolerance that blocked both governments to prevail in the path of mutual understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gambling has both negative and positive impacts on every economy. The existing literature of gambling-related protests has mostly centered on “cost-challenging protests,” referring to resistance against social costs such as legalized gambling, problem gambling, and environmental deterioration. In this article, we adopt alternative types of collective action, namely “benefit-sharing protests,” referring to those that seek state or casino companies to share economic benefits. By analyzing 754 protests in Macao from 2000 to 2021, this study examines the trends and characteristics of gambling-related movements in the Chinese special administrative region. The results indicate that most protests were benefits-sharing in nature rather than cost-challenging. The conclusion strongly supports the thesis that improved performance by the gambling sector can help alleviate conflicts within society. Interestingly, as revenue from the gambling sector increases, there is a corresponding rise in benefit-sharing protests, which acknowledge the contributions of the gambling industry and advocate for enhanced welfare transformation for residents. These findings offer a novel perspective on understanding protests related to gambling in the context of Macao’s well-established gambling economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1863, the Monegasque government and the newly founded Société des Bains de Mer decided to transform a small hill known as Spélugues into a casino district. Three years later, in 1866, Monte Carlo was officially founded. Over the next three decades, it became a cosmopolitan pleasurescape designed for a nonlocal, seasonal population of gamblers and consumers, separated from the neighboring urban entities. Although not a port city, Monte Carlo constituted a distinctly global space in which the casino company scripted the movements, emotions, and behaviors of visitors for the purpose of gambling and leisure. Monte Carlo represents both a pleasurescape and company town where entertainment and capitalism were prerequisites for its urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, based on ethnographic research, seeks to examine the constitution and social dynamics of the Portuguese casinos' working class. The most relevant elements in the class experience of these professionals are the clientelism/nepotism present in the recruitment process of the casinos and the asymmetrical distribution of tips. If, on the one hand, these elements are mobilized by the workers, on the other, they are an integral part of the capitalist relations of exploitation and domination. Finally, it is argued that the position of structural subordination in the relationships between capital and labor, combined with the practices of social closure that guarantee relative occupational privileges to these workers, produces an eminently contradictory class habitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-street cruising by drivers impedes the effectiveness of road traffic conditions and increases energy consumption and environmental impact. Existing models of on-street cruising for parking mainly embody those intrinsic on-street parking factors and disregard the extrinsic impacts from off-street parking gaming factors. This research focused on both the intrinsic and extrinsic elements, especially gaming factors, of off-street parking, i.e., the price of off-street parking, the waiting time of off-street parking, and the difference in walking time between their parking lots to their destinations. On-street cruising for a parking model is reconstructed in this paper in consideration with the equilibrium cruising time, i.e., the maximum tolerable cruise time after evaluating the cost of on-street and off-street parking. Correlation analysis showed that the off-street parking gaming factors were all positively related with the maximum tolerable cruise time. A simulation model was further presented for on-street cruising for the parking model by the cellular automata approach with real-world data. Simulation experiments demonstrated that the average speed of vehicles on the street increases by 9.858 km/h, the average delay decreases by 44.934 s, and the price of on-street parking increases by 4.5 CNY/h. The proposed on-street cruising for parking model proved effective by decreasing the maximum tolerable cruising time to bring significant improvements in average speed, average delay, and on-street cruising vehicles in road traffic flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In "Postscript on Societies of Control", French philosopher Gilles Deleuze proclaimed that "Everywhere surfing has replaced the older sports". By this, he alluded to Foucault's thoughts on older societal regimes and power diagrams of sovereignty and discipline, and that now such models have been supplemented with governance through control and allegations of increased freedom. This article has as its point of departure the potential of sports to reflect social change. Contemporaneously to the coining of Deleuze's surfing sentence, a new sport emerges: parkour, in which practitioners "surf" the urban realm. This practice gained attention globally when it was featured in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale. The analysis in this article revolves around the different ways of moving in and through the environment in the renowned parkour chase in the beginning of the movie. How do different kinds of displacement in the parkour chase of Casino Royale relate to the transition between the societies described by Deleuze, and what new adaptations emerge and what old logics and models return? It is concluded that the older forms of power prevail and that the ideal of the society of control cannot be realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emerging literature has identified optimal low-risk gambling limits in an effort to reduce gambling-related harm. Concerns have, however, been raised about the construction of aggregate low-risk limits that are applied to all gambling activities and there is support from gambling experts and the general public in Australia for the identification of low-risk limits for specific gambling activities. The study's aim was to identify and evaluate a set of empirically-based activity-specific limits (gambling frequency, gambling expenditure, gambling expenditure as a proportion of gross personal income, session expenditure, session duration) in a secondary analysis of Social and Economic Impact Studies of Gambling in Tasmania and the 2014 Survey on Gambling, Health and Wellbeing in the ACT. Balancing sensitivity and specificity, limits were identified for all gambling activities: EGMs (10 times per year, AUD$300/year, 0.63–1.04% of personal income, AUD$35 per session, 40 min/session), horse/dog racing (0.55% of personal income), instant scratch tickets (AUD$45/year), lotteries (0.45% of personal income), keno (4–13 times/year, AUD$45–$160/year), casino table games (AUD$345/year, 0.36–0.76% of personal income), bingo (AUD$150/year, 0.49% of personal income, AUD$17/session, 90 min/session), and sports/other event betting (14 times/year, AUD$400/year, 0.55–0.86% of personal income). These limits were exceeded by one-quarter to one-half of gamblers on these specific activities and were generally good predictors of gambling-related harm in subgroups of gamblers participating in these gambling activities and in the overall gambling sample. The limits provide gamblers, regulators, prevention workers, and researchers with simple rules of thumb in prevention efforts to reduce gambling-related harm in specific contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]