Goffman and gambling studies

The works of Erving Goffman have made important contributions to the understanding of gambling as a specific form of social action, and the influence of his work is evident in many later studies of gambling. Goffman’s main contribution to gambling studies is his analysis and concept of ‘action’ in focused face-to-face interactions, which includes two important elements: First, in his investigation of action he sees gambling with its elements of risk-taking as an ideal type or a metaphor explaining and illuminating other ritualized social encounters with specific roles and social regulations in contemporary Western societies. Second, the action inherent in gambling constitutes a test of a person’s character. Thus, in situations of action, the person’s character is at stake. Goffman, himself, had a long-lasting engagement in gambling activities. He paid regular visits to casinos, and he served as a croupier and a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas. These engagements allowed him to collect data and information which formed part of the empirical basis for his ideas. This chapter will (1) present Goffman’s personal engagements in casinos of Las Vegas and in other jurisdictions; (2) outline his main conceptual contributions, such as his concept of risk and his analysis of action with its distinct phases; and (3) review how his perspective and ideas have informed and developed in sociological gambling research, including how his concepts have been adopted and further refined.