Living with Gambling: addiction to games of chance in gambling halls. A look from the Sociology of emotions

Abstract

This research analyzes and describes the coexistence that many adults have silently with the addiction to games of chance in gambling halls, in the city of Metropolitan Lima. Through interviews with people with this problem, specialists in these cases, in addition to the testimonies of people who work in gambling halls; It has been possible to learn about the reality of living with addiction from the perspective of their own emotions and from that of others. The analyzed data shows that this addiction basically focuses on a state of stillness, of a parallel world or a life in another dimension and in turn constitutes a response to not continue in this state. In this article, one of the key aspects that contributes to entering, maintaining, or leaving the state of addiction to gambling is captured. This aspect encompasses the "emotional burden" of the individual regarding their motivations based on the perception of interaction with the others (relationships).