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Sociology
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`You Lucky Punters!' A Study of Gambling in Betting Shops

Mark Neal

This paper draws upon an ongoing study into gambling in the United Kingdom to examine off-course betting as a form of social life. Through such an approach it identifies several features of betting shop life that complement and refine the research literature to date: the different sub-groups within the off-course betting population; how they manage their activities in terms of their finances and their domestic and work responsibilities; the often subtle social dynamics of the betting shop. Through an analysis of these features of the punter's world, the paper investigates the rationality of the activities of loss-making punters, and shows how this differs markedly from the rationalities employed by those who win at the game - bookmakers and professional gamblers. One common concern for many punters is the dream of the `big win' for a little stake - a concern not shared by the other two groups - a dream that undermines their ability to win, and thus compounds their losses. The paper then identifies the different sub-groups involved in off-course betting, and discusses the different times at which they bet and the different strategies they use. In such a way the paper contributes to the debate through identifying groups and social processes not addressed in the literature, and shows how they refine the categories and concepts used to date.

Key Words: betting shops • gambling • leisure • off-course betting • punters • risk

Sociology, Vol. 32, No. 3, 581-600 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/0038038598032003010
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