Addictions: Gambling

Abstract

Gambling disorder is a significant public health concern. The recent and continued proliferation of land-based and interactive gambling opportunities has increased both accessibility and acceptability of gambling in the United States and abroad, resulting in greater and more varied participation. However, there is currently no designated federal funding for prevention, intervention, treatment, or research, and states are left to adopt varying standards on an ad hoc basis. Social workers receive little or no training in screening or treating problem gamblers, though research suggests that a significant proportion of those with mental health and other addictive disorders also gamble excessively. Raising awareness about the nature and scope of gambling disorder and its devastating implications for families and children is a first-step toward integrating gambling into prevention, assessment and treatment education in social work. This, in turn, will increase the chances of early identification and intervention across settings and insure that social workers can lend a knowledgeable and credible voice to addressing this hidden addiction.

Demographic, gambling, and psychological characteristics of sports bettors in a stratified sample of adults who gamble regularly.

“…Cross-nationally, males tend to engage in sports betting to a much greater degree than females in both the general population (Labrador & Vallejo-Achón, 2020; Seal et al, 2022; Valenciano-Mendoza et al, 2023) and among individuals who gamble (Hing et al, 2017; Nower & Caler, 2019; Williams, Leonard, Belanger, Christensen, El-Guebaly, Hodgins, McGrath, Nicoll, & Smith, 2021; Wood & Williams, 2011). Further, gamblers who engage in sports betting also tend to be younger in age (Nower & Caler, 2019; Williams, Leonard, Belanger, Christensen, El-Guebaly, Hodgins, McGrath, Nicoll, & Smith, 2021), have single relationship status (Mestre-Bach et al, 2022), be employed (Winters & Derevensky, 2019), and have high levels of education (Mestre-Bach et al, 2022; Williams, Leonard, Belanger, Christensen, El-Guebaly, Hodgins, McGrath, Nicoll, & Smith, 2021; Winters & Derevensky, 2019) compared to those who do not engage in sports betting. The vast majority of sports bettors also tend to engage in other forms of gambling, with one study finding that 97% of participants also participated in at least one other type of gambling (Nower & Caler, 2019).…”

“…Further, gamblers who engage in sports betting also tend to be younger in age (Nower & Caler, 2019; Williams, Leonard, Belanger, Christensen, El-Guebaly, Hodgins, McGrath, Nicoll, & Smith, 2021), have single relationship status (Mestre-Bach et al, 2022), be employed (Winters & Derevensky, 2019), and have high levels of education (Mestre-Bach et al, 2022; Williams, Leonard, Belanger, Christensen, El-Guebaly, Hodgins, McGrath, Nicoll, & Smith, 2021; Winters & Derevensky, 2019) compared to those who do not engage in sports betting. The vast majority of sports bettors also tend to engage in other forms of gambling, with one study finding that 97% of participants also participated in at least one other type of gambling (Nower & Caler, 2019). With regard to psychological characteristics, the previous studies suggest that sports bettors report more significant psychological distress and substance use compared to nonsports bettors (NSBs; Granero et al, 2020; Hing et al, 2017; Mestre-Bach et al, 2022; Nower & Caler, 2019).…”

“…The vast majority of sports bettors also tend to engage in other forms of gambling, with one study finding that 97% of participants also participated in at least one other type of gambling (Nower & Caler, 2019). With regard to psychological characteristics, the previous studies suggest that sports bettors report more significant psychological distress and substance use compared to nonsports bettors (NSBs; Granero et al, 2020; Hing et al, 2017; Mestre-Bach et al, 2022; Nower & Caler, 2019). One recent systematic review by Valenciano-Mendoza et al (2023) identified several clinical characteristics that have emerged across studies on sports bettors with and without problem gambling.…”

Problem gambling and associated mental health concerns in elite athletes: a narrative review

“…Nower and colleagues27 reported that 22.4% of adults engaged in DFS, with most being between the ages of 25 and 34 (61%), married or living with a partner (62.7%), and having a college or postgraduate degree (46%). Overall, 95% of DFS players were reported to be high-frequency gamblers in general and were identified as high-risk problem gamblers.…”

“…Although there is still debate concerning whether fantasy sports wagering should be considered ‘gambling’ versus ‘skill’, DFS players have been characterised by high gambling frequency and gambling-related problems 26. Nower and colleagues27 reported that 22.4% of adults engaged in DFS, with most being between the ages of 25 and 34 (61%), married or living with a partner (62.7%), and having a college or postgraduate degree (46%). Overall, 95% of DFS players were reported to be high-frequency gamblers in general and were identified as high-risk problem gamblers.…”