Gambling Trends in the State of New Mexico: 1996–1998

Abstract

New Mexico experienced a surge in the gaming industry during the mid-1990s with the initiation of a state lottery and other new gaming opportunities, as well as the development of many Indian gaming establishments. This paper explores patterns associated with gambling in two random samples of the adult population (N = 2674) in the entire State of New Mexico in 1996 and 1998. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to describe the relationship between gambling and such variables as age, gender, and ethnicity. Overall, an increase occurred in the number of people who reported having ever gambled, from 86.4% in 1996 to 92.5% in 1998. From 1996 to 1998, respondents’ reports of their past month gambling showed that certain forms of gambling (e.g., playing cards and betting on animals for money) decreased, while other forms of gambling either remained unchanged or increased in frequency (e.g., sports and investment gambling). The relationship of gender and age to gambling was also examined. Survey results indicated that while males and females reported many similar gambling habits, there are gender differences, particularly with regard to investment gambling. Specifically, females show a greater increase in investment gambling from 1996 to 1998, than do males. Overall results indicate a small positive correlation between age and dollar amount spent on gambling in the past month. In addition, ethnicity and age-specific patterns for certain forms of gambling are described.