Untreated young gamblers with game-specific problems: Self-concept involving luck, gambling ecology and delay in seeking professional treatment

Abstract

We assessed whether self-perceptions of dispositional personal luck are more pronounced among young gamblers who experience trouble with types of games that contain elements of skill relative to gamblers who have trouble with games characterized by pure chance. We also examined the convergence of subjective belief in personal luck and ecology of the game on attitudes toward seeking treatment. Our methodology consisted of a survey involving a sample of untreated young adults who scored one or more on the DSM-IV gambling screen. Results showed young people whose most problematic game contained a skill component (e.g., poker) were more likely to perceive themselves as being characterologically lucky. They also had more negative attitudes toward treatment seeking than their youthful counterparts whose most problematic game was one of pure chance (e.g., slot machines). These results suggest the subjective belief that one is a lucky person may play a role in maintaining problematic patterns of gambling. At the same time, this type of an unrealistic self-concept may also undermine the motivation to reduce imprudent wagering or abstain altogether. We concluded that excessive delay in seeking professional treatment services may be related to the combined influence of person and environmental factors. Specifically, the gap between needing help and obtaining help might be widened by: (a) unrealistic self-perceptions involving belief in personal luck and (b) involvement with wagering games that emphasize elements of skill.