Unsafe Bet? The Dangerous Rise of Gambling and the Debate We Should Be Having

Accessibly written and based on the latest research, this book tackles a key issue in contemporary society. Pulling no punches, addiction authority Jim Orford presents evidence that gambling represents a serious danger to public health due to its potential addictiveness.

The dramatic and international expansion of gambling facilities in recent years has not just left policy makers and regulatory agencies struggling to keep up – health and social service professions are increasingly becoming aware of the insidious effects of gambling addiction on individuals and families.

In An Unsafe Bet? The Dangerous Rise of Gambling and the Debate We Should Be Having, psychologist and addiction specialist Jim Orford brings together the evidence that gambling represents a danger to public health due to its inherent addiction potential. Orford reveals how this threat is being intentionally downplayed by government, the gambling industry, and others who have become complicit in gambling expansion without widespread public support.

Illuminating and sure to be controversial, An Unsafe Bet? reveals the hand of the gambling industry, exposing the unseen costs of pervasive gambling to individuals, families and society at large.

An Unsafe Bet? The D angerous R ise of G ambling and the D ebate W e S hould B e H aving reveals how gambling represents a danger to public health due to its inherent addiction potential, which is being intentionally downplayed by the gambling industry and governments.

• Lays bare the extent of gambling and its effects on society
• Exposes the dilemma for policy makers, who are charged with protecting public health but also increasingly dependent on revenues earned from gambling
• Written by Jim Orford, an internationally respected authority on the topic
• International examples broaden the argument and reveal the global stakes involved