THE ROLE OF GAMBLING IN SOCIETY: STRATIFIED FEATURES AND SOCIOCULTURAL CONDITIONALITY

Abstract

This article is devoted to the relatively new phenomenon in Russian society - gambling, or affection to gambling entertainment. The author gives historical examples, observes the whole history of studying the problem and its social roots, and describes the main theories by the world's leading sociologists put forward over the past half a century, and concludes that gambling should be far from being viewed in all cases as a social evil.