Shuffling Desires: An Exploration of Gambling Motivations among Pakistani Card Players

Abstract

Gambling has captivated me to deep down the inner motivations of card players that sustain their shuffling desires. A sense of exploration to unmask the realities behind risk and reward leads to the qualitative exploration of eight gamblers. The transcribed data converged into the five primary motives driving gambling behavior. The study took care of ethics throughout the research process. The rigor of the study was taken care of by the criteria of Tracy (2010). In-depth interviews open up the close corridors of wonder, and reflexive thematic analysis (2019) empowered me to understand the unique perspectives of card players. These include psychological factors, encompassing emotional engagement, thrill, suspense, and intrigue; social factors, comprising social context and participation, social perception, and social bonding; financial factors, including financial necessity and financial management; and entertainment and management factors, encapsulating game preference, self-regulation, and caution. Furthermore, the study highlights the significance of legality and ethical concerns in shaping the landscape of gambling motivations. This study may provide the first baseline of data to understand the hidden motives of Pakistani gamblers This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the act of gambling among male card players only. In the future, we are convinced to study the addictive secrets of female gamblers, specifically in the locale of Sindh, where females take part in card-based gambling.