Abstract
The present study depicts the experience of gambling in an illegal casino through a qualitative, phenomenological approach, in light of the criminal spin theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 gamblers and 4 staff members. Qualitative analysis of the data reveals several major categories that describe the participants' experiences: fears in the illegal casino; learning through experience and with the assistance of a mentor; strengthening the sense of potency; a tunnel vision perspective; the growing urge to gamble; losing control; harming the family; and finding a way out of gambling. The findings indicate that the illegal casino created a unique atmosphere for its attendees that fostered a gambling spin that coincides with the motives of spin theory.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3-21 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | European Journal of Criminology |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2013 |
Keywords
- Criminal spin
- gambling
- illegal casino
- phenomenology
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Law
