Predictors of different types of recreational gambling among college students

Abstract

The current study examined the prevalence, frequency, and predictors of gambling among young adult college students. Nine hundred and fourteen undergraduates from a Mid-Atlantic public university completed a survey to assess gambling behaviors and problems, along with various psychosocial factors that may account for gambling behaviors. Among the entire sample, 53% (n= 461) reported participating in some form of gambling activity during the past year. The most frequently endorsed gambling activity was playing board or card games for money, followed by playing the lottery, and betting on games of personal skill. In contrast to expectations, online gambling was not prevalent. Most student gamblers in this sample gambled for recreational reasons; only 2.5% and 1.5% fell in the problem or pathological range, respectively. Hierarchical regression analyses found different predictors for the two types of gambling, gaming activities and sports betting. Being male and high on novelty/excitement seeking were significantly related to the number of gaming activities participated in during the past year by college students. Binge drinking showed a strong trend as a predictor. For sports betting, being male accounted for the greatest amount of variance and binge drinking in the past year emerged as the only other significant predictor. Being Caucasian, however, showed a strong explanatory trend. Together, these findings provide valuable information about the predictors of college students' recreational gambling, which was found to represent the vast majority of all gambling behaviors among this sample of college students.