A taxonomy of gambling-related crime

Gambling and crime represent two common behaviours that occur, to varying degrees and in myriad forms, across most societies. Keeping gambling free from crime has also emerged to become an important policy objective in many jurisdictions, particularly where commercial gambling has proliferated. Yet research exploring the interconnections between gambling and crime is sporadic, stymied, in part, by the need for a comprehensive, detailed and systematic approach to categorizing the variety of offences that may be linked to wagering activities. In response, this article reviews the extant literature exploring gambling and crime and the ways in which it has been sorted and classified, before outlining a taxonomy through which to examine and better comprehend different types of gambling-related crime. The proposed taxonomy represents a policy-oriented framework through which gambling-related crime research and knowledge may be organized in order to aid risk analysis, regulatory review and crime prevention strategies.