Gambling, albeit a leisure activity for most, can in a significant minority progress to problem gambling or pathological gambling, with wide-ranging adverse interpersonal, financial and social consequences. There is mounting evidence that increased availability and easy accessibility to gambling opportunities can result in increased incidence of problem gambling – a point of particular relevance to the UK, at the present time, given the impending deregulation of gambling legislation as proposed in the Gambling Bill. So too, over recent years, gambling research has emerged to occupy an important place within the field of addiction studies. It is against this background that I read this book and I found it to be timely and highly readable.

This monograph is part of the International Research Monographs in the Addictions series (the series editor is Griffith Edwards) and is authored by two experts in the field of gambling research. Although the book has an Australian bias (as the authors, the research described and the policy issues discussed are Australia-based), the theoretical constructs/models discussed and the implications for policy makers are generalisable. This book takes a look at gambling as an addictive behaviour – more specifically at the dimension of self-control over gambling behaviour and the various psychological variables that influence it. The core theme of this book is ‘impaired self-control’ and the authors eloquently summarise key findings from their 5-year gambling research programme. This book consists of eight chapters – all self-contained and well-organised. The authors provide an excellent overview of the key psychological variables that determine self-control over gambling: emotional factors, individual differences, cognitive variables and coping, and they set this in the context of different models of impaired control and two studies that explored this subject. In addition the following topics are also well covered: implications for psychological treatment of pathological gamblers, and the concept of harm minimisation or ‘responsible gambling’. I found the chapter presenting a case study of the implementation of harm minimisation strategies in Victoria, Australia to be particularly fascinating, because of its relevance to clinicians and policy makers in the UK. This book provides interesting insights into the dimension of impaired self-control, and succeeds in highlighting its key role in the psychological conceptualisation of gambling and addictive behaviours in general.

All in all, a good read, although some of the theoretical debate presented could be intellectually taxing. At a price of £55, it may be a bit over-priced, and it may also not appeal to the non-specialist. Despite the above-noted criticisms, this book is likely to be of value to those with an interest in gambling research and policy.