Social representations of institutional leaders about gambling in México

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the social representations of different institutional leaders regarding the casino customers, their main motivations and role of the casino in daily life. The methodology was qualitative - phenomenological using semi-structured interviews. Participants were eight leaders of religious, political, and mental health institutions, and government officials. The results show that adult women are represented as the group with greater presence in the casinos. Loneliness and pathological gambling are part of the social representation of the players, with variations according to the institution that the leaders represent. The relevance of generating investigative processes that expand the concept of the games in casinos and impact on public health policies and socioeconomic development is discussed.