A-level students to study gambling addictions

Sixth-formers taking psychology A-level will be able to cover it from next year amid warnings that planned new casinos will increase problem gambling.

Pupils will learn about the psychological appeal of popular gambling pastimes including slot machines, gaming tables and betting.

They will study the irrational thinking that can lie behind compulsive gambling including personification of fruit machines with beliefs such as "the machine likes me".

Charities hope the new course, being offered by the OCR exam board, will help produce a new generation of experts to counsel problem gamblers and warn would-be addicts of the dangers.

The revamped psychology syllabus - expected to be studied by more than 26,000 sixth-formers by 2010 - follows the passing of Labour's Gambling Act which allows a wave of large regional casinos and relaxes restrictions on TV and radio advertising.

In a dramatic twist, Gordon Brown recently announced plans to axe Britain's first supercasino - earmarked for Manchester - amid fears of a surge in addiction and crime.

However gambling authority Professor Mark Griffiths, of Nottingham Trent University, believes gambling deregulation could still increase addiction.

Around 33 million Britons - two thirds of adults - already take part in some kind of gambling activity, with more than half the adult population gambling on a weekly basis. Some 300,000 are said to be addictive gamblers.

Sixth-formers will study research by Professor Griffiths which highlights gamblers' tendency to verbalise irrational beliefs such as "I lost there because I wasn't concentrating" and, in talking directly, fruit machines, "come on, aren't you going to pay out for me?"

They will also study methods of treating or minimising a compulsion to gamble.

Professor Griffiths said: "I am delighted that the study of gambling and gambling addiction has found its way onto the core A-level psychology syllabus and highlights the fact that today's students need to learn about the application of psychology in real world situations.

"Against a backdrop of gambling liberalisation and deregulation, gambling addiction looks set to increase and educating students about gambling behaviour will be of real interest."

The gambling addiction study will form part of OCR's syllabus for AS-level psychology from next September. AS-levels account for half the marks at A-level.

Diane Cole, psychology subject officer for OCR, said:"With plans for the UK's first super casino being reviewed by the government, the danger of gambling addiction is very topical for students to cover as part of their A-level psychology course."

Malcolm Bruce, director of the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT), said: "Most people who gamble do so responsibly. For some, however, gambling can become an addictive behaviour with devastating consequences for themselves, their families and their friends.

"We need to know more about how and why gambling affects people in different ways. At the same time we need to educate people about the potential risks involved in gambling.

"For both of these reasons, RIGT is very pleased to see the study of gambling and gambling addiction included as part of the A Level psychology syllabus."