Gambling Frequency Research Articles

Gambling and correlates of gambling among Minnesota public school students.

This study examines the prevalence of gambling and measures the relationships between gambling behavior and a number of demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral variables among Minnesota public school students. The sample includes 78,582 male and female Minnesota public school students enrolled in the 9th and 12th grades. Students were administered the 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, a 121-item, anonymous, self-administered, paper-and-pencil questionnaire that inquires about multiple health-related content domains, including gambling behavior. The majority of students were found to have gambled at least once during the past year, however, most students did not report gambling frequently, nor did they report problems associated with their gambling. Boys reported gambling more often than girls, and older students gambled more often than younger students. A larger percentage of Mexican/Latin American, African American, American Indian, and mixed race students gambled at weekly and daily rates than Asian American and Caucasian students. Variables associated with gambling frequency included antisocial behavior, gender (being a male), alcohol and tobacco use, age, feeling bad about the amount of money they bet, a desire to stop gambling, and increased sexual activity. Gambling appears to be related to other risk-taking behaviors and may be a part of the adolescent experimentation with adult behaviors.

A social learning perspective of gambling behaviour among college students at Iowa State University, USA

This study assesses the proportion of college students who gamble and the level of their gambling involvement (i.e. frequency, scope, expenditure). In addition, a better understanding is sought of why students gamble and the factors that contribute to their gambling behaviour. The data were collected in the autumn of 1996 from 797 undergraduate students. The main outcome measures included the students' gambling status, scope, frequency and expenditure. The predictor variables were gender, age, employment status, grade point average and gambling expenditure of the mother, father and best friend of the respondents. Frequency and cross‐tabulation analyses were used to develop the respondents' demographic profile and to describe differences between characteristics of gamblers and non‐gamblers. Gamma‐statistics were used to test the strength of the relationship between predictors and outcome variables. Over half of the students gambled, and the two most frequently identified gambling activities were lottery and non‐casino cards. The majority indicated that they gambled for entertainment. On average, the students gambled three times and staked an average of 33 per month on their gambling. However, about 19% of them gambled 3–6 times and staked over 66 a month on gambling. Student gambling was found to be positively related to the gambling of their parents and the gambling of their best friend.

Beliefs about control over gambling among young people, and their relation to problem gambling.

The aim of this study was to assess the association between beliefs about 2 types of control--(a) illusion of control and (b) internal locus of control--and gambling frequency-problem gambling among young people age 14 to 25 years (435 males, 577 females, and 5 unreported gender). A revised version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen and measures of gambling frequency and gambling beliefs were administered. Results indicated that irrational control beliefs were strongly associated with problem gambling. Young problem gamblers were more likely to believe that they needed money and that gambling would provide it. In addition, young problem gamblers had more faith in their ability to manipulate chance and beat the system. Regression models with illusion of control and internal control over gambling significantly predicted gambling frequency and problem gambling.

Gambling and alcohol use among youth: Influences of demographic, socialization, and individual factors

Gambling and alcohol use are both prevalent among youth and these behaviors may have common predictors within four domains: sociodemographic, individual/psychological, socialization (parental and peer), and other problem behavior. Data were from two household samples of youth in the Buffalo, NY area. Both studies included the same measures of alcohol consumption and gambling frequency, and comparable measures of variables in the four domains. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed that impulsivity, moral disengagement, and delinquency (adolescent or peer delinquency) predicted alcohol consumption and gambling in both studies, even after controlling for demographic factors. Parental monitoring, cigarette use, and illicit drug use predicted alcohol consumption in both studies, but did not predict gambling once the demographic and individual factors were taken into account.

Further validation of the economic subscale of the Sport Fan Motivation Scale.

The current investigation further validated the Economic, i.e., gambling, subscale of the Sport Fan Motivation Scale as subscale scores were highly correlated with both estimates of gambling frequency and estimates of money wagered by 91 college students.

Physiological arousal and sensation-seeking in female fruit machine gamblers.

To examine changes in physiological arousal, as indexed by heart rate, during fruit machine gambling while controlling for the confounding effect of movement and as a function of winning and losing, and to examine relationships between sensation-seeking, self-reported arousal during gambling, heart rate during gambling and frequency of gambling. SAMPLE, DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: Heart rate and subjective arousal were recorded in a sample of 32 female fruit machine players before, during and after the gambling process. At baseline measures were taken of sensation-seeking, self-reported arousal during gambling and frequency of gambling. A simulation of the behaviour used to operate fruit machines was used during baseline measurement. Significant increases in heart-rate over movement controlled baselines were observed within participants during gambling, but only in those who won during play. No correlations between HR levels and subjective arousal were found. However, striking negative correlations between sensation-seeking and frequency of gambling, and between subjective arousal and frequency were present. Gambling alone is not enough to induce increases in HR levels for female fruit machine gamblers; the experience of winning or the anticipation of that experience is necessary to increase HR levels. In addition sensation-seeking appears to be negatively associated with this kind of gambling behaviour.

THE PREDICTION OF GAMBLING BEHAVIOR AND PROBLEM GAMBLING FROM ATTITUDES AND PERCEIVED NORMS

The aims of this study were to characterise gambling attitudes and social norms among adult Australians, and to evaluate whether gambling behavior (frequency) and problem gambling could be predicted by a model combining attitudes and social influences. With a sample of 215 late adolescents and adults, the Theory of Reasoned Action was found significantly to predict gambling frequency and problem gambling, with intentions to gamble predicting behavior, subjective norms predicting intentions (and gambling frequency), and attitudes predicting intentions. Males scored higher than females on both problem gambling and gambling frequency. Across the sample, although most had gambled at some time (89 per cent), gambling frequency and problem gambling were low, and attitudes and subjective norms with respect to gambling were a complex mixture of acceptance and rejection.

Correlates and Predictors of Lottery Play in the United Kingdom

Previous studies of lottery play have tended to adopt one particular approach, concentrating on demographic, personality, cognitive, or social aspects of play. Using the recently introduced United Kingdom National Lottery, this study investigated variables associated with all of these approaches within an overall integrative framework. In a community sample (N = 160), Lottery play was positively correlated with friends' Lottery play, Instants Lottery play, frequency of other gambling, and misunderstanding of Lottery probability, and negatively correlated with level of education. In a regression analysis, friends' Lottery play, Instants Lottery play, and education level were significant unique predictors of Lottery play, and a combination of these and other variables accounted for 38% of the variance in playing behavior. The results are discussed predominantly in terms of the nature of lotteries as a social activity.

A Twin Study of Adult Gambling Behavior

A twin study explored the possible genetic influences on gambling behavior. Male monozygotic (MZ) twins (n = 42) revealed significantly greater similarity on gambling frequency associated with “high-action” games than male dizygotic (DZ) twins (n = 50). The heritability estimates for involvement in these types of games among males were moderate and significant. All MZ versus DZ comparisons among males for “low-action” games were nonsignificant, as were MZ versus DZ comparisons among females (n = 63) for both types of games. The findings suggest that genetic influences may be important in the origins of certain types of gambling by men.

Cognitive progress associated with gambling behaviour.

Gambling behaviours can be pathological if positive response is extreme, but very little is known about the psychological precursors of pathological gambling in Australia. This study examined the relationships between self-reported gambling behaviours and scores on locus of control measures. The sample of 80 male and 75 female undergraduate students completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen and Levenson's multidimensional Locus of Control Scale. No significant association was found for the self-reported gambling behaviours with scores on the Internal scale but a positive one obtained between scores on the Powerful Others subscale. Self-reported gambling behaviours differed significantly for men reported that they gambled more than women. For these Australian undergraduates an additional question on borrowing money increased the apparent frequency of pathological gambling. Thus an avenue for further research is the development of a valid and reliable measure of gambling behaviours in an Australian sample.

Arousal, sensation seeking and frequency of gambling in off-course horse racing bettors.

Heart rate was recorded in a sample of 32 off-course horse racing bettors before, during and after the gambling process, together with sensation seeking and information regarding frequency and expenditure on gambling. Importantly, the present study controlled for the confounding effects of movement on heart rate present in previous studies. Significant differences within subjects were found for heart rate at different points in the gambling process, but no differences were found comparing high- and low-frequency gamblers or gamblers that chase with those that don't chase. These findings are discussed in relation to the theoretical role of arousal and sensation seeking in the explanation of gambling behaviour.

Gambling activities of young Australians: developing a model of behaviour.

As more gambling venues open in Australia, youth gambling as problem behaviour has been identified. The aim of this study was to assess youth gambling in a population with easy access to gambling, and to evaluate the adequacy of a model for predicting adolescent gambling frequency and problem gambling. The model comprised a combination of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), personality variables (venturesomeness, impulsiveness), and cognitive bias variables derived from Weinstein's (1980) propositions concerning unrealistic optimism about future life events. A sample of 1017 school- and university-based adolescents indicated relatively low frequencies of gambling and low scores on the problem gambling scale, with males scoring higher than females on both measures. The TRA was supported with about 30% of the variance of each of gambling behaviour and problem gambling accounted for by intentions, attitudes, and subjective norms. Personality factors added significantly to the prediction of gambling. The cognitive bias variables, although independently not statistically significant, further contributed to prediction.

Prevalence of gambling among Minnesota public school students in 1992 and 1995.

The purposes of this study were to examine the prevalence of gambling among youth, compare rates of gambling between 1992 and 1995, and determine what levels of gambling frequency may be considered common and uncommon. The two samples included 122,700 Minnesota public school students in the 6th, 9th, and 12th grades in 1992; and 75,900 9th and 12th grade students in 1995. Students were administered the Minnesota Student Survey, a 126-item, anonymous, self-administered, paper-and-pencil questionnaire that inquires about multiple content domains, including gambling behaviors. The same questionnaire, with minor revisions to the gambling items, was administered in both 1992 and 1995 to students in their classrooms by the Minnesota Department of Education. There were slight decreases in overall gambling rates from 1992 to 1995. The majority of students gambled at least once during the past year. However, most did not play any game on a weekly/daily rate and did not report any problems associated with their gambling. Gender, grade, and race effects were found for gambling frequency. Boys gambled more often than girls, and 9th and 12th grade students gambled more often than 6th grade students. Asian American and White students reported lower rates of gambling frequency than Mexican/Latin American, African American, and American Indian students. From a statistical standpoint (i.e., beyond the 97.7 percentile), it may be considered in the uncommon range for girls to play two or more games at a weekly/daily rate, and for boys to play four or more games at a weekly/daily rate. Variables associated with gambling frequency included antisocial behavior, gender, and alcohol use frequency. Although the finding that gambling did not increase from 1992 to 1995 is encouraging, this is the first generation of youth to be exposed to widespread accessibility to gambling venues and gambling advertising and it will be important to continue monitoring the prevalence of youth gambling.

Evaluation of a prevention program for pathological gambling among adolescents

Many adolescents gamble, some gamble regularly and 2% to 5% suffer from pathological gambling (Jacobs, 1989; Ladouceur & Mireault, 1988; Lesieur & Klein, 1987). This study evaluated the efficacy of a pathological gambling prevention program conducted in five high schools in the Quebec City area. Based on an alcohol prevention program (Rhodes & Jason, 1988), it included the following components: the legality of gambling, the commercial nature of the activity, automatic gambling behaviors, pathological gambling and coping skills. Nine junior and senior classes participated in the program (N=134) and nine equivalent classes served as a control group (N=155). It was predicted that experimental subjects would increase their knowledge of gambling and pathological gambling, decrease their frequency of gambling and change their attitudes toward gambling. A six month follow-up confirmed the maintenance of newly acquired information toward gambling. Results confirmed the efficacy of the program in improving knowledge and skills for controlling gambling behavior at the end of treatment. The clinical implications of prevention programs for pathological gambling are discussed.

Ecological validity of laboratory studies of videopoker gaming

This study compared the cognitive and behavioral components of videopoker players under laboratory and natural settings. Twenty regular gamblers (19 men and 1 woman) were matched into two groups on age and on frequency of gambling. Irrational verbalizations during gambling, monetary risk (number of bets doubled and number of tokens bet), and motivation served as dependent variables. Results showed no significant differences between laboratory and natural settings for the number of inadequate verbalizations, bets doubled, and motivation. The amount of money gambled was greater in the laboratory than in the natural setting. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed according to the ecological validity of gambling studies conducted in laboratory settings.

UNDERAGE GAMBLING IN ATLANTIC CITY CASINOS

A three-year survey of college students was conducted to ascertain the frequency and preferences of student gambling at nearby casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The data suggest that gambling by underage college students is common and indicates that age control at casino entrances is quite poor. An additional finding of differential memory for wins and losses suggests the need for an information processing analysis of memory for gambling outcomes.

CORRECTION DES VERBALISATIONS IRRATIONNELLES CHEZ DES JOUEURS DE POKER‐VIDEO*

Earlier studies have shown that irrational thinking dominates rational thinking during gambling. The present study evaluated the effects of cognitive restructuring on gambling behaviors among video poker players. Within a single case experimental design across subjects, the results showed that irrational verbalizations decreased during treatment while rational verbalizations increased. Three out of four players reduced their frequency of gambling following treatment. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.

Family, marital, and occupational satisfaction for recovering pathological gamblers

This paper describes the efforts of a private gambling treatment program to conduct a retrospective study of pathological gamblers treated in a publicly supported residential program. The Johns Hopkins Center for Pathological Gambling treated approximately 100 pathological gamblers nationwide from 1979 to 1983 in its residential component. Twenty-six gamblers were assessed regarding their recovery status with specific focus on family, marital status and occupational satisfaction. It was hypothesized that the more satisfied patients would display lower frequencies of gambling and that gambling frequency was dependent upon the level of satisfaction. Thirty-one percent of these gamblers reported abstinence. Regression analyses indicated that the recovery of pathological gamblers as measured by frequency of gambling is significantly influenced by job satisfaction, and moderately influenced by marital status and family life satisfaction. Consequently, these factors should be addressed by mental health professionals in research and treatment of pathological gambling.

The impact of religion on gambling in Australia

On the basis of a probability sample (N = 318) from the Quality of Life Studies in North Queensland an effort is made to sort out the conflicting assertions concerning the impact of religion on gambling in Australia. By controlling for gender and socioeconomic status and by differentiating between three dimensions of religiosity, it is found that religiosity is an important construct in understanding both the frequency of gambling and the amount of money spent on it.