Anthropology of Gambling
The aim of our research project is to move beyond the paradigm of problem gambling as an individual pathology to consider gambling as a form of exchange, the meaning of which varies significantly through time and space. This forces us to ask questions that are neglected in the existing literature, including ‘Who is gambling?’, ‘What counts as gambling in this context?’ and ‘What are the regulatory and other structural restrictions shaping the experience of gambling in this context?’
The project comprises four pieces of research: a multi-sited investigation into betting shops in London (Rebecca Cassidy), an examination of gambling among Chinese people in London (Claire Loussouarn), a study of mahjong and casino gambling among Chinese people in Manchester (Zhihong Liu) and a study of the relationships between families and casino gamblers in London (Jim Lee).
As anthropologists, we are interested in the everyday experiences of people in specific gambling environments, all of which have socially and historically distinctive meanings. We think that it is necessary to understand something about the history of casinos in London, and the migration of Chinese people to Britain, for example, in order to say something meaningful about gambling in the Chinese community.
News and events
International conference
'Calculated risks: new perspectives on gambling', Goldsmiths on 17 & 18 September, 2009.
See call for papers.
See the updated conference schedule [pdf]
View the conference talks
Our methods have been designed in order to fit our research questions. We spend time with ordinary people in settings where gambling takes place, from racetracks to casinos and betting shops. We are also interested in how people gamble in private, with friends and kin, and how these experiences differ from commercial gambling, or not.
Our findings reveal that gambling is a complex social activity and that the motivations for gambling cannot be generalised from one setting to another, or from one individual to another. Instead, researchers should be sensitive to the potential of gambling in particular settings to create, moderate, modify and destroy relationships between people.