This report presents a review of social science research on gambling. The objective is to sum up what the literature says about the motives people have for gambling and the factors that influence their degree of involvement in gambling. The report is commissioned by the Swedish National Institute of Public Health and is part of the preparations to the data collection phase of the Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (SWELOGS). Most of the previous gambling research relies on medical concepts of problem gambling as pathology. This review focuses on the social, economic and cultural aspects of gambling rather than perceiving it as a progressive and irreversible disease in an individual. 434 works are cited in this report. Predominantly biological, psychiatric and psychological research on gambling, including problem gambling prevalence studies, which have been excluded from the review. Directly related to the description of each research approach, conclusions on the usefulness for gambling research can be found.