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The frequency of gambling materials
presented here is based on a catalogue of
material advertised on the Gambler's Book Shop
Web site (gamblersbook), advertised as the
largest selection of gambling books, videotapes
and software in the world. Our examination of
this and other Web sites did not find any
evidence to contradict their claim. We also
counted the number of books found in libraries
and bookstores in the greater Toronto area, but
the main focus of the statistics given in this
study is from the Gambler’s Book Shop Web site.
The catalogue from the Gambler’s Book Shop Web
site was downloaded during the winter of 2000
and organized into a spreadsheet. It was later
sorted by category to create the frequency of
materials described in this study. Didactic
materials were the focus of this study, and
therefore, materials such as novels or casino
guidebooks were excluded from the sample.
Redundancy was also taken into account in this
collection, and repeated items were removed. A
total of 1,157 unique items were identified in
the resulting collection of materials, which
includes books, software, statistics, charts,
magazines and videos on gambling. This sample
does not represent an exhaustive search of the
available literature. We are aware of several
specific books that are not listed on this Web
site, but to date, this Web site is the most
comprehensive list we have come across.
One of a handful of men and women you may see at
a racetrack, card game, casino, bingo hall, OTB
office. Or he or she may be sitting right next
to you in your own living room, watching a
football or baseball game on TV. Unlike others,
the compulsive gambler is rooting for one team
or horse over another because he has had to bet
with money he probably cannot afford to lose.
The compulsive gambler is driven to gamble in
the same way that an alcoholic needs a periodic
drink or a drug addict needs a "fix."
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