Howard J Shaffer | Harvard Medical School (original) (raw)

Papers by Howard J Shaffer

Many people worry that exposure to Internet gambling will overpower individuals’ self-control, st... more Many people worry that exposure to Internet gambling will overpower individuals’ self-control, stimulate addictive behavior patterns, and provide the context to sustain addiction once it emerges. Though many researchers have attempted to evaluate this proposition, they have been limited by their methodological approaches—specifically, their use of convenience samples and self-reports of Internet gambling behavior. At the Division on Addiction, the authors collaborated with bwin.party digital entertainment to examine electronically recorded gambling data (i.e., records of actual gambling) among bwin.party subscribers. As described in this chapter, their early epidemiological studies revealed that few Internet gamblers are intemperate and that the typical Internet player gambles moderately. However, those who do use the Internet to gamble excessively often experience lasting and far-reaching harm. The authors review prevention and intervention strategies to help promote healthier Internet gambling. These cross-cutting strategies emerge from public policy, public health, corporate social responsibility, and other fields. With regard to user-initiated strategies, the authors describe what researchers have discovered about the effectiveness and reach of self-limitation and self-exclusion programs. With regard to operator-initiated strategies, they propose a series of steps leading to the development of algorithms designed to predict which Internet gamblers will require interventions to reduce gambling harm. The authors describe their approach to these steps during their work developing predictive algorithms for bwin.party. Finally, the chapter considers ethical principles that should inform the development of programs and policies designed to provide the safest possible Internet gambling experience.

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, Feb 13, 2020

This comment corrects erroneous and misleading statements about gambling control and public healt... more This comment corrects erroneous and misleading statements about gambling control and public health. In addition, it avoids tilting at windmills. This comment focuses on four primary issues: (1) the politics of public health initiatives, (2) gambling as a determinant of adverse health, (3) the nature and prevalence of gambling addiction, and (4) the moral aspects of gambling. These issues and gambling-related problems in general often influence the practice of medicine, public health policy, and a range of scientific research activities. During this discussion, we provide an evidence-based consideration of gambling and public health. This discussion counters the political and personal views that are influencing public health policy development.

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, Jun 12, 2017

Addictive Behaviors, Sep 1, 2019

Addiction research & theory, Dec 14, 2016

Journal of Gambling Studies, Mar 28, 2023

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, Jan 6, 2021

Despite its widespread use, the concept of “responsible gambling” lacks a clear definition. Conse... more Despite its widespread use, the concept of “responsible gambling” lacks a clear definition. Consequently, debate and confusion surround the respective government, regulator, industry operator, individual, and community accountability as these stakeholders attempt to develop strategies, policies, and procedures that will protect consumers by minimizing gambling-related harms. This brief report advances the argument that stakeholders should define responsible gambling as an outcome instead of an activity or process. Responsible gambling exists when individuals gamble within personally affordable limits. Therefore, we should not describe any policies, regulatory requirements, industry conduct, community advocacy, and individual decision-making as responsible gambling initiatives. More appropriately, these are actions taken to achieve the outcome of responsible gambling. We draw a distinction between the outcome (i.e., responsible gambling) and the action of stakeholders who can bring about this situation. Governments are accountable for establishing the legal gambling environment, regulators need to ensure compliance with government standards, industry must comply with regulatory requirements, communities need to influence public policy and public health advocacy, and ultimately individuals are the decision-making agents. Clarifying who is accountable for what activity provides stakeholders with the opportunity to target strategic groups to realize responsible gambling target outcomes.

American Psychological Association eBooks, 2012

Journal of Gambling Studies, Jul 12, 2019

Responsible Gambling, 2019

Robert Ladouceur and Alex Blaszczynski convened this working group and established the early agen... more Robert Ladouceur and Alex Blaszczynski convened this working group and established the early agenda and direction for the International Group on Responsible Gambling and our scholarly publications. The Reno Model provided the seminal architecture for understanding, creating, and implementing responsible gambling activities and programs. This model stimulated considerable growth and interest in responsible gambling activities around the world. From this growth, the authors’ international working group on responsible gambling emerged. The primary purpose of this group and this book is to discuss and formulate guidelines, elaborate principles, and stimulate discussion related to responsible gambling policies and their evaluation. The group considered the views of a variety of key stakeholders who are obligated to minimize harm and protect consumers, such as regulators, governments, academics, clinicians, individuals, gamblers, and the general community). This chapter provides an overvi...

Journal of Gambling Studies, 2019

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2019

Journal of gambling studies, Jan 16, 2017

During 2011, the Governor of Massachusetts signed a bill to allow casino gambling in the state (C... more During 2011, the Governor of Massachusetts signed a bill to allow casino gambling in the state (Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2011). As a result, two resort casinos will begin operations during 2018 and 2019; a smaller slots parlor began operations during June 2015. Prior to this expansion, gambling was widely available in Massachusetts, through the state lottery, off-track betting, and gambling opportunities available in neighboring states. Within this context, it is important to understand the patterns of gambling involvement in the population prior to gambling expansion. The current study examined gambling involvement, patterns of play, and gambling-related problems prior to gambling expansion among a sample of 511 Massachusetts residents who were members of a statewide Internet panel. To measure patterns of play, we asked questions about past-year games played and frequency of play. To measure breadth of involvement, we assessed the number of different games played. To measure d...

Psychological Medicine, 2008

BackgroundLittle is known about the prevalence or correlates of DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG)... more BackgroundLittle is known about the prevalence or correlates of DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG).MethodData from the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), a nationally representative US household survey, were used to assess lifetime gambling symptoms and PG along with other DSM-IV disorders. Age of onset (AOO) of each lifetime disorder was assessed retrospectively. AOO reports were used to study associations between temporally primary disorders and the subsequent risk of secondary disorders.ResultsMost respondents (78.4%) reported lifetime gambling. Lifetime problem gambling (at least one Criterion A symptom of PG) (2.3%) and PG (0.6%) were much less common. PG was significantly associated with being young, male, and Non-Hispanic Black. People with PG reported first gambling significantly earlier than non-problem gamblers (mean age 16.7 v. 23.9 years, z=12.7, p<0.001), with gambling problems typically beginning during the mid-20s and persisting for an average of 9....

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1990

Journal of Community Psychology, 2017