Addiction 39: The Psychology of Gambling and Sex Addiction with Dr Shane Kraus

In this episode, Dr. Shane Kraus discusses behavioural addictions, including gambling, sex, and disordered eating, especially in military populations. We explore the psychological mechanisms, risk factors, and potential interventions for these complex issues with hosts Dr Michael Auer and Jon Bruford.

This episode comes to you courtesy of the excellent Gaming Laboratories International.

GLI is a world-class testing, inspections and certification company committed to delivering the highest quality land-based, lottery and iGaming testing and assessment services, working in more than 710 jurisdictions.

For more information, visit gaminglabs.com.

Some of the things we talk about, in a list:

• Behavioural addictions and their classifications
• The impact of military service on addiction risk
• Role of technology in addiction escalation
• Screening and intervention strategies for behavioural health
• The importance of education and self-awareness in prevention

Choice quotes:

• "Short term goals are important for longevity."
• "Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder is a mouthful."
• "Addiction is loss of control."

Chapters – but add 40 seconds or so because of the music…

• 00:00 Introduction and guest introduction
• 02:01 The story of Tucker The Man in His Dream and its influence
• 07:08 Understanding compulsive sexual behaviour disorder
• 11:58 Addiction as a coping mechanism in military personnel
• 20:00 Screening, regulation, and the role of technology in gambling
• 29:52 Resilience, nurture vs. nature, and behavioural health in military contexts
• 40:14 The impact of online content and attention economy on addiction
• 49:58 Strategies for early intervention and responsible gambling
• 01:00:01 The future of research and regulation in behavioural addictions
• 01:10:02 Closing thoughts and future directions

Resources & Links:

GLI: https://gaminglabs.com/

Shane on the UNLV site: https://www.unlv.edu/people/shane-kraus

The Gambling Files on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-gambling-files-podcast/

Addiction: An Hour With Auer is a weekly podcast where hosts Dr Michael Auer – he of the title – and Jon Bruford talk about addiction in all its forms. Not just gambling addiction, they discuss all forms of addiction with experts, academics and researchers from around the world.

Dr Auer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-auer-51a48a/

Jon Bruford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-bruford-84346636/

Podcast homepage: https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/addiction/

Media behemoth homepage: https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/

Other podcasts we do:

https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/the-gambling-files/

https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/dessert-island-discs/