“It Always Depends on the Context”: Poker Players' Perceptions of Substance Use at and Beyond the Table
Session Title
Session 1-3-C: Lightning Talks
Presentation Type
Lightning Talk
Location
Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV
Start Date
23-5-2023 1:45 PM
End Date
23-5-2023 3:15 PM
Disciplines
Social Psychology
Abstract
While it is well recognized that gambling behaviours are shaped by the contexts in which they occur, less research has investigated the relationship between poker and substance use (i.e., alcohol and other drugs). Towards addressing this gap, the current study explores poker players’ perceptions of the relationship between substance use and gambling. This qualitative descriptive study is a secondary data analysis of 25 interviews with poker players conducted as part of a broader prospective cohort project. From the thematic analysis, poker players reported a relationship between substance use and gambling practices. However, players differed greatly in their decisions about whether, and how much, to use alcohol and other drugs, with individuals’ choices depending heavily on contexts and motivations. Poker players who gambled with friends who use alcohol and cannabis were more inclined to partake, as were those who chose to gamble in locations where alcohol was readily available. Consideration of contextual factors is essential to better understand risky gambling behaviours and for tailoring prevention for specific locations and at-risk players.
Keywords
poker, substance use, context, motivation, qualitative, players’ perspectives
Funding Sources
This project was financed by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC, Québec Funds for Research on Society and Culture). Writing of this article was supported by a redaction Grant from the Institut Universitaire sur les Dépendances.
Competing Interests
All authors declare that they have no compteing interests.
“It Always Depends on the Context”: Poker Players' Perceptions of Substance Use at and Beyond the Table
Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV
While it is well recognized that gambling behaviours are shaped by the contexts in which they occur, less research has investigated the relationship between poker and substance use (i.e., alcohol and other drugs). Towards addressing this gap, the current study explores poker players’ perceptions of the relationship between substance use and gambling. This qualitative descriptive study is a secondary data analysis of 25 interviews with poker players conducted as part of a broader prospective cohort project. From the thematic analysis, poker players reported a relationship between substance use and gambling practices. However, players differed greatly in their decisions about whether, and how much, to use alcohol and other drugs, with individuals’ choices depending heavily on contexts and motivations. Poker players who gambled with friends who use alcohol and cannabis were more inclined to partake, as were those who chose to gamble in locations where alcohol was readily available. Consideration of contextual factors is essential to better understand risky gambling behaviours and for tailoring prevention for specific locations and at-risk players.