Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Critiquing the Reno Model I-IV International Influence on Regulators and Governments (2004–2015)— the Distorted Reality of “Responsible Gambling”

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article critically examines the Reno Model responsible gambling undertaking: its evolution, core ideological beliefs and promotion in four internationally influential journal articles, published between 2004 and 2015. This discourse has framed the international RG policy landscape for over a decade; emphasising individualised responsibility for harms and providing governments with justifications for compromised RG regulation. Axioms of the Reno Model are individual responsibility, framed as personal control and autonomy for informed choice and a focus on problem gamblers who manifest clinical symptoms of impaired control. Drawing on corporate political activity (CPA) analysis, regulatory-avoidance framing strategies of the gambling industry include shaping the evidence base, policy substitution (voluntary industry operator codes of conduct and problem gambler treatment programs) and assertions of insufficient evidence for introducing reforms. Barriers to ethical RG standards include deception and exploitation, faulty regulation and grim working conditions in gambling environments, along with Reno Model adherents’ dismissal of contradictory evidence. The critique proposes a shift in the dominant regulatory Model from industry self-regulation under self-monitored codes of practice to RG-Consumer Protection that addresses structural issues of power and vested interests, featuring core principles of public health, consumer protection, operator duty of care, regulatory transparency and independent research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, P. (2011). Editorial. International Gambling Studies, 11(2), 145–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexius, S. (2011). Making up the responsible gambler (pp. 22–24). Stockholm: Paper presented at the Nordic Academy of Management Conference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alliance for Gambling Reform. (2016). Pokies on Trial. October 26. Retrieved from: http://www.pokiesplayyou.org.au/pokiesontrial.

  • APPG Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Parliamentary Group. (2017). Fixed Odds Betting Terminals Inquiry Report. Retrieved from: www.fobt-appg.com/ .

  • Astbury, G., & Thurstain-Goodwin, M. (2015). Contextualising machine gambling characteristics by location - final report. London: Geofutures.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakken, I., Øenl, A., & Götestam, G. (2015). Norway: The slot machine and problem Gambing. Oslo: SINTEF Health Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (2002). Selective moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of Moral Education, 31(2), 101–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banks, G. (2002). The productivity Commission’s gambling inquiry: 3 years on. In Presentation to the 12th Annual Conference of the National Association for Gambling Studies (NAGS). Canberra: Productivity Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banks, G. (2007). Gambling in Australia: Are we balancing the equation? Australian Gaming Expo Conference. Sydney, (19 August) Retrieved from: http://www.pc.gov.au/news-media/speeches/cs20070819.

  • Banks, G. (2011). Guest editorial. International Gambling Studies, 11(1), 3–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., & Gainsbury, S. (2014). Editor’s notes. International Gambling Studies., 14(3), 354–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., Ladouceur, R., & Shaffer, H. (2004). A science-based framework for responsible gambling: The Reno model. Journal of Gambling Studies, 20(3), 301–317.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., Ladouceur, R., Nower, L., & Shaffer, H. (2005). Informed choice and gambling: Principles for consumer protection. Melbourne: Australian Gaming Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., Ladouceur, R., Nower, L., & Shaffer, H. (2008). Informed choice and gambling: Principles for consumer protection. Journal of Gambling, Business and Economics, 2(1), 103–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., Collins, P., Fong, D., Ladouceur, R., Nower, L., Shaffer, H., Tavares, T., & Venisse, J. L. (2011). Responsible gambling: General principles and minimal requirements. Journal of Gambling Studies, 27(4), 565–573.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Browne, M. N., Kubasek, N. K., & Biksacky, L. (2014). Casinos and problem gamblers: The complexity of legal responsibility. Charlotte Law Review., 339–376.

  • Browne, M., Langham, E., Rawat, V., Greer, N., Li, E., Rose, J., Rockloff, M., Donaldson, P., Thorne, H., Goodwin, B., Bryden, G., & Best, T. (2016). Assessing gambling-related harm in Victoria: A public health perspective. Melbourne: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, C., & Smith, G. (2003). Gambling in Canada—From vice to disease to responsibility: A negotiated history. Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, 20(1), 121–149.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carter, S. (1998). Civility. New York: Harper Perennial.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassidy, R. (2014). Fair game? Producing and publishing gambling research. International Gambling Studies, 14(3), 345–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassidy, R. (2015). Gambling across borders: Disclosure of interest. In Or not Retrieved from: https://gamblingacrossborders.wordpress.com/2015/07/21/disclosures-of-interest-or-not/s.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, K. (2011). Gambling for profit: Lotteries, gaming machines and casinos in cross-national focus. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, C., & Jones, J. (2011). Casino women: Courage in unexpected places. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, P., Blaszczynski, A., Ladouceur, R., Shaffer, H., Fong, G., & Venisse, J.-L. (2015). Responsible gambling: Conceptual considerations. Gaming Law Review and Economics, 3, 594–599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, P., Barr, G., & Scott, L. (2016). Report on results of research into the likely effects of substantially reducing the maximum permitted stake of the effects of reducing the stake on a B2 machine in UK betting shops. In GambleAware Retrieved from: http://about.gambleaware.org/media/1390/peter-collins.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crofts, P. (2003). Researching the link between gambling and crime (pp. 24–25). Trends and Methods Conference, Australian Institute of Criminology and Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra: Evaluation in Crime and Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson, M. (2003a). Exploring the limits of “responsible gambling”: Harm minimization or consumer protection? Gambling Research, 15, 28–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson, M. (2003b). ‘Re-framing “responsible gaming” as consumer protection’. Submission to the IPART inquiry Review of gambling harm minimization measures. Retrieved June 20 2015 from: www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/files/a0cc0ae8-eaab.../M_Dickerson_-_S5505.pdf.

  • Dow Schull, N. (2012). Addiction by design. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eadington, W. (2003). Trends in gambling and responsible gambling in the United States and elsewhere. www.unr.edu/gaming, retrieved Feb. 8, 2009.

  • el-Guebaly N., Currie, S., Hodgins, D., Smith, G. & Williams, R. (2005). Adapting the Reno Model for Alberta. Report prepared for the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI), Edmonton: (AGRI).

  • Etzioni, A. (2004). The common good. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • GambleAware. (2016). Harm Minimisation Conference 2016, Keynote Speakers Retrieved from: http://about.gambleaware.org/about/harm-minimisation-conference-2016/keynote-speakers/.

  • GambleAware. (2017). Independent Research Oversight Panel. Retrieved from: http://about.gambleaware.org/about/independent-research-oversight-panel-irop/robert-ladouceur/.

  • Gouldner, A. (1962). Anti-Minotaur: The myth of a value-free sociology. Social Problems, 9(3), Winter, 199–213.

  • Griffiths, M., & Auer, M. (2015). Research funding in gambling studies: Some further observations. International Gambling Studies, 15(1), 15–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han Leung, T. C., & Snell, R. S. (2015). Attraction or distraction? Journal of Business Ethics: Corporate social responsibility in Macao’s gambling industry Retrieved January 24, 2016 from: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-015-2890-z/fulltext.html.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hancock, L. (2011). Regulatory failure. Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hancock, L. (2013). Giving Dracula the keys to the blood bank? Interrogating the fifth crown casino licensing regulatory review. Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics, 8(1), 1–21 2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hancock, L., & Hanrahan, S. (2015). Review of the Responsible Gambling Trust machines research Programme. London: Campaign for Fairer Gambling.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hancock, L., & Hao, Z. (2016). Gambling regulatory regimes and the framing of “responsible gambling” by transnational casino corporations: Asia-Pacific regimes in comparative perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 38(3), 139–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hancock, L., Schellinck, T., & Schrans, T. (2008). Gambling and corporate social responsibility (CSR): Re-defining industry and state roles on duty of care, host responsibility and risk management. Policy and Society, 27, 55–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hao, Z., Hancock, L., & Thompson, W. (2014). In search of best practices in responsible gaming (RG): A comparative study of RG among Macau, Las Vegas, and Melbourne casinos. Gambling Law Review and Economics, 18(4), 361–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry, A. (2011). Ideology, power, and the structure of policy networks. Policy Studies Journal, 39(3), 361–383.

  • Hing, N. (2010). The evolution of responsible gambling policy and practice: Insights for Asia from Australia. Asian Journal of gambling issues and Public Health, 1(1), 19–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hing, N., & Gainsbury, S. (2011). Risky business: Gambling problems amongst gaming venue employees in Queensland Australia. Journal of Gambling Issues, 25, 4–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hing, N., Sproston, K., Tran, K., & Russell, A. (2016). Gambling responsibly: Who does it and to what end? Journal of Gambling Studies, On-line, 1–17.

  • Jubinville, G. (2012). Dismissed. Sturgeon County, AB: ADIGI Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingma, S. (2008). The liberalization and (re)regulation of Dutch gambling markets: National consequences of the changing European context. Regulation & Governance, 2, 445–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korn, D., Reynolds, J., & Skinner, H. (2006). The Reno model – A public health discussion. In Presentation to the 13th International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking. Lake Tahoe: Nevada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurland, J. (2002). The heart of the precautionary principle in democracy. Public Health Reports, 117, 498–500.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J., & Shaw, R. (2014). Despite tougher rules, reports of possible money laundering up at BC casinos. Vancouver Sun, 14.

  • Livingstone, C., & Adams, P. (2015). Clear principles are needed for integrity in gambling research. Addiction, 111(1), 5–10.

  • Livingstone, C., & Woolley, R. (2007). Risky business: A few provocations on the regulation of electronic gambling machines. International Gambling Studies, 7, 361–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, C., Woolley, R., & Keleher, H. (2010). Productivity commission inquiry into Australia’s gambling industry. Canberra: Productivity Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, C., Rintoul, A., & Francis, L. (2014). What is the evidence for harm minimisation measures in gambling venues? Evidence Base, 2, 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Ross, L., & Lepper, M. (1979). Biased assimilation and attitude polarization: The effects of prior theories on subsequently considered evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 2098–2109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma v Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police. (2016). VSC 553. Melbourne: Victorian Supreme Court.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacLaren, V. (2016). Video lottery is the most harmful form of gambling in Canada. Journal of Gambling Studies, 32(2), 459–485.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Markham, F., & Young, M. (2015). Big gambling: The rise of the global industry-state gambling complex. Addiction Research & Theory, 23(1), 1–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, D., & Smith, M. (2000). Understanding policy networks: Towards a dialectical approach. Political Studies, 4, 4–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAllister, I. (2014). Public opinion toward gambling and gambling regulation in Australia. International Gambling Studies, 14(1), 146–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillen, J., & McAllister, G. (2000). Responsible gambling: Legal and policy issues. In Presentation to 3rd National Gambling Regulation Conference, Sydney, may 11–12. Australian Institute of Criminology and Australian Institute of Gambling: Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meirs, D. (2016). Social responsibility and harm minimization in commercial gambling in great Britain. Gaming Law Review and Economics, 20(2), 164–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miedema, D. (2012). Government-Gambling’s biggest addict. Ottawa: Institute of Marriage and Family Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mutari, E., & Figart, D. (2015). Just one more hand: Life in the casino economy. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, J., & Dickerson, M. (2003). Impaired control over gambling in gaming machine and off-course gamblers. Addiction, 98, 53–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Orford, J. (2011). An unsafe bet: The dangerous rise of gambling and the debate we should be having. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orford, J., Griffiths, M., Wardle, H., Sproston, K., & Erens, B. (2009). Negative public attitudes toward gambling: Findings from the 2007 British gambling prevalence survey using a new attitude scale. International Gambling Studies, 9, 39–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Productivity Commission. (1999). Australia’s gambling industries. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Productivity Commission. (2009). Gambling, draft report. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Productivity Commission. (2010). Gambling final report. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • R v Jamieson, Kate (2006). County Court of Victoria, Melbourne [2006] VCC 1649.

  • Reith, G. (2004). Consumption and its discontents: Addiction, identity and the problems of freedom. British Journal of Sociology, 55(2), 283–300.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reith, G. (2013). Techno economic systems and excessive consumption: A political economy of ‘pathological’ gambling. The British Journal of Sociology, 64(4), 717–738.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Room, R. (2005). The wheel of fortune: Cycles and reactions in gambling policies. Addiction, 100, 1226–1227.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sabatier, P. (1999). The need for better theories. In P. Sabatier (Ed.), Theories of the policy process (pp. 3–17). Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabatier, P., & Jenkins-Smith, H. (1999). The advocacy coalition framework: An assessment. In P. Sebatier (Ed.), Theories of the policy process (pp. 117–166). Westview Press: Boulder.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savell, E., Gilmore, A. B., & Fooks, G. (2014). How does the tobacco industry attempt to influence marketing regulations? A systematic review. PloS One, 9(2), 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schellinck, T., & Schrans, T. (2004a). From Reno to Halifax: Building on the framework for a global gambling strategy, responsible gambling policy and research. Halifax: Focal research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schellinck, T., & Schrans, T. (2004b). Identifying problem gamblers at the gambling venue: Finding combinations of high confidence indicators. Gambling Research, 16(1), 8–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schellinck, T., Schrans, T. & Yi, Z. (2009). Informing the Debate: Specifications for an Effective Gambling Risk Assessment System Based on Loyalty Tracking Data, The 6th International Conference on Gaming Industry and Public Welfare 2009, Macao, China, 149–186.

  • Schrans, T., & Schellinck, T. (2014). Hedging your bets: Using loyalty data & player tracking data to identify & manage risk. Banff: Alberta Gambling Research Institute annual conference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, H., Blaszczynski, A., Ladouceur, R., & Whyte, K. (2015). Extending the Reno model: Clinical and ethical applications. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 86(3), 297–309.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skolnick, J. (1978). House of cards: The legalization and control of casino gambling. Boson: Little Brown and Co..

    Google Scholar 

  • Skolnick, J., & Dombrink, J. (1979). The limits of gaming control. Connecticut Law Review, 12(762–784), 784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G. (2015). The corrupting influence of gambling on governments, research and charities. Paper presented at the Alberta Gambling Research Institute Conference, Banff.

  • Smith, G., & Rubenstein, D. (2009). Socially responsible and accountable gambling in the public interest. Journal of Gambling Issues, 25, 54–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G., & Simpson, R. (2014). Gambling addiction defence on trial: Canadian expert witness perspectives. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 3, 319–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G., Schopflocher, D., el-Guebaly, N., Casey, D., Hodgins, D., Williams, R., & Wood, R. T. (2011). Community attitudes toward legalized gambling in Alberta. International Gambling Studies, 11(1), 57–79.

  • Storer, J., Abbott, M., & Stubbs, J. (2009). Access or adaptation? A meta-analysis of surveys of problem gambling prevalence in Australia and New Zealand with respect to concentration of EGMs. International Gambling Studies, 9(3), 225–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Transparency International. (2016). Global Corruption Report: Sport. Retrieved from: http://www.transparency.org/whatwedo/publication/global_corruption_report_sport.

  • Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. (2014). What is responsible gambling? Retrieved10 December 2014 from http://www.responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/awareness-and-prevention/know-the-odds.

  • Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. (2016). Many Ways to Help, 2016 Conference Speakers: Alex Blaszczynski. Retrieved from: http://www.manywaystohelp.com.au/speakers/alex-blaszczynski.

  • Warfield, B. (2014). Gambling motivated fraud in Australia 1998–2007. Sydney: Warfield and Assoc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weible, M., Sabatier, P., & McQueen, K. (2009). Themes and variations: Taking stock of the advocacy coalition framework. Policy Studies Journal, 37(1), 121–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R., Belanger, Y., & Arthur, J. (2011a). Gambling in Alberta: History, current status, and socioeconomic impacts. Edmonton: Final Report to the Alberta Gambling Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R.J., Rehm, J., & Stevens, R.M.G. (2011b). The social and economic impacts of gambling. Final report prepared for the Canadian Consortium for Gambling Research, p. 42. Retrieved from: http://www.ccsa.ca/2011 CCSA Documents/SEIG FINAL REPORT.pdf.

  • Williams, R., Volberg, R. & Stevens, R. (2012a). The population prevalence of problem gambling. Report prepared for the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre (OPGRC). Guelph: (OPGRC).

  • Williams, R., West, B. & Simpson, R. (2012b). Prevention of problem gambling: A comprehensive review of the evidence and identified best practices. The Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre, Guelph: (OPGRC).

  • Wohl, M., & Wood, R. (2015). Is gambling industry-funded research necessarily a conflict of interest? A reply to Cassidy (2014). International Gambling Studies, 15(1), 12–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woolley, R., Livingstone, C., Harrigan, K., & Rintoul, A. (2013). House edge: Hold percentage and the cost of EGM gambling. International Gambling Studies, 13(3), 388–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy Burwood, 3125, Victoria, Australia

    Linda Hancock

  2. University of Alberta, T5J4P2, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Garry Smith

Authors
  1. Linda Hancock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Garry Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda Hancock.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no potential or actual conflicts of interest related to this publication or the research upon which it is based.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hancock, L., Smith, G. Critiquing the Reno Model I-IV International Influence on Regulators and Governments (2004–2015)— the Distorted Reality of “Responsible Gambling”. Int J Ment Health Addiction 15, 1151–1176 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9746-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9746-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation