Win or Lose: Negotiating meaning of time and money within three gambling settings

Abstract

The rational management of expenditures has received much attention in the evaluation of problem gambling, overlooking however the contribution of the sociocultural context in which gambling occurs. This paper examines how moderaterisk and problem gamblers develop specific semantic frames within three settingsprivate, casino, and online-to structure time and money management to cope with all the contingencies associated with games of chance. Data were drawn from a qualitative component of a large survey of gambling practices conducted in 2008 among a random representative sample of Canadian undergraduate students. Focus groups were held with non-problem/low-risk gamblers (n = 15) and 90-minute semistructured interviews were conducted with the moderate-risk/problem gamblers (n = 12). Analysis was carried out by applying a theory-driven coding template derived from a syncretic theoretical model combining an adapted version of an ecological model of gambling with game studies approaches. The exploration of three gambling settings demonstrates how each setting structures meaning and management of time and money. Negotiations between players of such structuro-semantic frames are central to maintaining each participant's ease and engagement with the game. This intersubjectivity needs to be addressed when understanding risk and should be included in future health promotion efforts.Keywords: addiction, youth risk, Goffman, qualitative methods, gambling, Canada, context, poker, college students RésuméLa gestion rationnelle des dépenses a suscité beaucoup d'attention dans l'évaluation du jeu problématique, mais on a négligé l'influence du contexte socioculturel dans lequel se pratique le jeu. Cet article examine comment les joueurs à risque modéré