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Considering Gambling Involvement in the Understanding of Problem Gambling: A Large Cross-Sectional Study of an Australian Population

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Abstract

Instead of regarding a particular type of gambling activity (for example, electronic gambling machines, table games) as an isolated factor for problem gambling, recent research suggests that gambling involvement (for example, as measured by the number of different types of gambling activities played) should also be considered. Using a large sample of the Victorian adult population, this study found that the strength of association between problem gambling and the type of gambling reduced after adjusting for gambling involvement. This finding supports recent research that gambling involvement is an important factor in assessing the risk of problem gambling. The study also provides insights into the measurements of gambling involvement and provides alternative statistical modelling to analyse problem gambling.

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Acknowledgments

The Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, Department of Justice and Regulation, Victoria permitted access to the Victorian Gambling Study baseline dataset. However, the findings and conclusions of this paper are those solely of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department. KY would like to thank Ms. Rosa Billi and Ms. Christine Stone for their useful comments and supports. Also, thanks to Mr. Paul Marden for his encouragement. DW would like to acknowledge the support of NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence grant, ID#1035261, awarded to the Victorian Centre for Biostatistics (ViCBiostat).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Kristal Yeung

  2. School of Public Health & Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

    Darren Wraith

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  1. Kristal Yeung
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  2. Darren Wraith
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Correspondence to Kristal Yeung.

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Conflict of Interest

Kristal Yeung is employed as a Research Data Analyst at the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.

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Yeung, K., Wraith, D. Considering Gambling Involvement in the Understanding of Problem Gambling: A Large Cross-Sectional Study of an Australian Population. Int J Ment Health Addiction 15, 166–181 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-015-9619-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-015-9619-1

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