Social representations of pleasure in gambling among young adults: Between homo ludens and homo economicus

Pleasure is one of the main reasons many young adults are interested in gambling. While several studies have highlighted the relationship between gambling and pleasure and how it is most related to motivation to gamble, very few have explored the meaning of pleasure in the gambler’s experience. The purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning of pleasure in the relationship between young adults and gambling by studying the social representations of this concept. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 young adults aged 18 to 30 who had been gambling in the past year. An analysis of the representations in light of the social, economic, and political contexts within which the relationship to gambling is constructed leads us to suggest an analysis of the relationship to pleasure with gambling as (1) an expression of neoliberalism’s values and principles, and (2) a ludic experience on the margins of neoliberal ideology. More broadly, these relationships to pleasure are part of two conceptions of the human being: homo economicus and homo ludens , or a hybrid of the two. The findings are discussed in light of these representations of pleasure, which appear to be exploited by the gambling industry to serve its financial interests.