Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Predictors of Problem Gambling in the U.S.

Journal of Gambling Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Cite this article

Abstract

In this article we examine data from a national U.S. adult survey of gambling to determine correlates of problem gambling and discuss them in light of theories of the etiology of problem gambling. These include theories that focus on personality traits, irrational beliefs, anti-social tendencies, neighborhood influences and availability of gambling. Results show that males, persons in the 31–40 age range, blacks, and the least educated had the highest average problem gambling symptoms. Adults who lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods also had the most problem gambling symptoms. Those who attended religious services most often had the fewest problem gambling symptoms, regardless of religious denomination. Respondents who reported that it was most convenient for them to gamble had the highest average problem gambling symptoms, compared to those for whom gambling was less convenient. Likewise, adults with the personality traits of impulsiveness and depression had more problem gambling symptoms than those less impulsive or depressed. Respondents who had friends who approve of gambling had more problem gambling symptoms than those whose friends did not approve of gambling. The results for the demographic variables as well as for impulsiveness and religious attendance are consistent with an anti-social/impulsivist pathway to problem gambling. The results for depression are consistent with an emotionally vulnerable pathway to problem gambling.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abbott, D. A., Cramer, S. L., & Sherrets, S. D. (1995). Pathological gambling and the family: Practice implications. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 76, 213–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abbott, M., & Volberg, R. (1991). Gambling and problem gambling in New Zealand: Report on phase one of the national survey of problem gambling. Research Series No. 12. Research Unit, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, New Zealand.

  • Adams, G. R., Sullivan, A. M., Horton, K. D., Menna, R., & Guilmette, A. M. (2007). A study of differences in Canadian university students’ gambling and proximity to a casino. Journal of Gambling Issues, 19, 9–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, G. M., Welte, J. W., Tidwell, M.-C. O., & Hoffman, J. H. (2013). Effects of neighborhood disadvantage on problem gambling and alcohol abuse. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2(2), 82–89.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, G. M., Welte, J. W., Tidwell, M.-C. O., & Hoffman, J. H. (2015). Gambling and substance use: Co-occurrence among adults in a recent general population study in the United States. International Gambling Studies, 15(1), 55–71.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Barron, J. M., Staten, M. E., & Wilshusen, S. M. (2002). The impact of casino gambling on personal bankruptcy filing rates. Contemporary Economic Policy, 20(4), 440–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., & Nower, L. (2002). A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling. Addiction, 97, 487–499.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., Steel, Z., & McConaghy, N. (1997). Impulsivity in pathological gambling: The antisocial impulsivist. Addictions, 92, 75–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boardman, J. D., Finch, B. K., Ellison, C. G., Williams, D. R., & Jackson, J. S. (2001). Neighborhood disadvantage, stress, and drug use among adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 42, 151–165.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Casino City Press. (2010). Gaming business directory. Newton, MA: Casino City Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian, J., Ladouceur, R., & Ferland, F. (2000). Impact of availability on gambling: A longitudinal study. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, La Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie, 45(9), 810–815.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clotfelter, C. T., & Cook, P. J. (1991). Selling hope: State lotteries in America (First Harvard University Press paperback edition). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, B. J., Yu, N., Afifi, T. O., & Ladouceur, R. (2005). A national survey of gambling problems in Canada. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 50(4), 213–217.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dannon, P. N., Lowengrub, K., Aizer, A., & Kotler, M. (2006). Pathological gambling: Comorbid psychiatric diagnoses in patients and their families. The Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 43(2), 88–92.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Delfabbro, P. (2002). Inquiry into management of gaming machine numbers. Report. University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

  • Derogatis, L. R. (2001). Brief Sympton Inventory (BSI)-18. Administration, scoring and procedures manual. Minneapolis, MN: NSC Pearson, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • el-Guebaly, N., Patten, S. B., Currie, S., Williams, J. V. A., Beck, C. A., Maxwell, C. J., et al. (2006). Epidemiological associations between gambling behavior, substance use & mood and anxiety disorders. Journal of Gambling Studies, 22(3), 275–287.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Felsher, J. R., Derevensky, J. L., & Gupta, R. (2003). Parental influences and social modelling of youth lottery participation. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 13, 361–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gobet, F., & Schiller, M. (2011). A manifesto for cognitive models of problem gambling. In B. Kokinov, A. Karmiloff-Smith, & N. J. Nersessian (Eds.), European perspectives on cognitive science. Sofia: New Bulgarian University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, J. E., & Kim, S. W. (2003). Comorbidity of impulse control disorders in pathological gamblers. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 108(3), 203–207.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grun, L., & McKeigue, P. (2000). Prevalence of excessive gambling before and after introduction of a national lottery in the United Kingdom: Another example of the single distribution theory. Addiction, 95(6), 959–966.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hing, N., & Haw, J. (2009). The development of a multi-dimensional gambling accessibility scale. Journal of Gambling Studies, 25(4), 569–581.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hing, N., Russell, A., Tolchard, B., & Nower, L. (2015). Risk factors for gambling problems: An analysis by gender. Journal of Gambling Studies. doi:10.1007/s10899-015-9548-8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgins, D. C., Schopflocher, D. P., Martin, C. R., el-Guebaly, N., Casey, D. M., Currie, S. R., et al. (2012). Disordered gambling among higher-frequency gamblers: Who is at risk? Psychological Medicine, 42(11), 2433–2444.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Hwang, I., LaBrie, R., Petukhova, M., Sampson, N. A., Winters, K. C., et al. (2008). DSM-IV pathological gambling in the National Comorbidity Survey replication. Psychological Medicine, 38, 1351–1360.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Korn, E., & Graubard, B. (1999). Analysis of health surveys. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • LaBrie, R. A., Nelson, E. E., LaPlante, D. A., Peller, A. J., Caro, G., & Shaffer, H. J. (2007). Missouri casino self-excluders distributions across time and space. Journal of Gambling Studies, 23, 231–243.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lavrakas, P. J. (1993). Telephone survey methods: Sampling, selection, and supervision. Newbury Park: Sage.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lester, D. (1994). Access to gambling opportunities and compulsive gambling. Substance Use and Misuse, 29(12), 1611–1616.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, W. J., Maciejewski, P. K., & Potenza, M. N. (2004). Psychiatric correlates of gambling in adolescents and young adults grouped by age at gambling onset. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61(11), 1116–1122.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martins, S. S., Storr, C. L., Lee, G. P., & Ialongo, N. S. (2012). Environmental influences associated with gambling in young adulthood. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. doi:10.1007/s11524-012-9751-1.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCleary, R., Chew, K. S. Y., Merrill, V., & Napolitano, C. (2002). Does legalized gambling elevate the risk of suicide? An analysis of U.S. counties and metropolitan areas. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 32(2), 209–221.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McComb, J. L., & Sabiston, C. M. (2010). Family influences on adolescent gambling behavior: A review of the literature. Journal of Gambling Studies, 26, 503–520.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, S. M., Thomas, A. C., Kyrios, M., Bates, G., & Meredyth, D. (2011). Gambling accessibility: A scale to measure gambler preferences. Journal of Gambling Studies, 27, 119–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Opinion Research Center (NORC). (1999). Gambling impact and behavior study. Chicago: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, J., Mason, K., Hiscock, R., & Day, P. (2008). A national study of neighborhood access to gambling opportunities and individual gambling behavior. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 62(10), 862–868.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petry, N. M., Stinson, F. S., & Grant, B. F. (2005). Comorbidity of DSM-IV pathological gambling and other psychiatric disorders: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on alcohol and related conditions. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66(5), 564–574.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, L., Marcus, L., Reich, W., Cunningham, R., & Gallagher, T. (1996). NIMH diagnostic interview schedule-Version IV (DIS-IV). St. Louis: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Room, R. (1999). Community effects of the opening of the Niagara casino. Addiction, 94(10), 1449–1466.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rush, B., Veldhuizen, S., & Adlaf, E. (2007). Mapping the prevalence of problem gambling and its association with treatment accessibility and proximity to gambling venues. Journal of Gambling Issues, 20, 193–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scherrer, J. F., Slutske, W. S., Xian, H., Waterman, B., Shah, K. R., Volberg, R., et al. (2007). Factors associated with pathological gambling at 10-year follow-up in a national sample of middle-aged men. Addiction, 102(6), 970–978.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sevigny, S., Ladouceur, R., Jacques, R., & Cantinotti, M. (2008). Links between casino proximity and gambling participation, expenditure and pathology. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 22(2), 295–301.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, H. J., LaBrie, R. A., & LaPlante, D. (2004). Laying the foundation for quantifying regional exposure to social phenomena: Considering the case of legalized gambling as a public health toxin. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18(5), 40–48.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slutske, W. S., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., & Poulton, R. (2005). Personality and problem gambling: A prospective study of a birth cohort of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(7), 769–775.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spinella, M. (2007). Normative data and a short form of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. International Journal of Neuroscience, 117(3), 359–368.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steel, Z., & Blaszczynski, A. (1996). The factorial structure of pathological gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 12, 3–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Storer, J., Abbott, M., & Stubbs, J. (2009). Access or adaptation? A meta-analysis of surveys of problem gambling prevalence in Australia and New Zealand with respect to concentration of electronic gaming machines. International Gambling Studies, 9(3), 225–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stricker, L. J. (1988). Measuring social status with occupational information: A simple method. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 18, 423–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tidwell, M.-C. O., Welte, J. W., Barnes, G. M., & Dayanim, B. (2015). Gambling modes and state gambling laws: Changes from 1999 to 2011 and beyond. Gaming Law Review and Economics, 19(1), 13–26.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Vitaro, F., Brendgen, M., Ladouceur, R., & Tremblay, R. E. (2001). Gambling, delinquency, and drug use during adolescence: Mutual influences and common risk factors. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17(3), 171–191.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Volberg, R. A. (1993). Estimating the prevalence of pathological gambling in the United States. In W. R. Eadington & J. A. Cornelius (Eds.), Gambling behavior and problem gambling. Reno: University of Nevada Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volberg, R. A. (1994). The prevalence and demographics of pathological gamblers: Implications for public health. American Journal of Public Health, 84(2), 237–241.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, M. (1988). The clustering of America: A vivid portrait of the nation’s 40 neighborhood types—Their values, lifestyles, and eccentricities. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Welte, J. W., Barnes, G. M., Tidwell, M.-C. O., & Hoffman, J. H. (2009). Legal gambling availability and problem gambling among adolescents and young adults. International Gambling Studies, 92(2), 89–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welte, J. W., Barnes, G. M., Tidwell, M.-C. O., Hoffman, J. H., & Wieczorek, W. F. (2015). Gambling and problem gambling in the United States: Changes between 1999 and 2013. Journal of Gambling Studies, 31(3), 695–715.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Welte, J. W., Barnes, G. M., Wieczorek, W. F., Tidwell, M.-C. O., & Parker, J. (2001). Alcohol and gambling pathology among U.S. adults: Prevalence, demographic patterns and co-morbidity. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 62(5), 706–712.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Welte, J. W., Wieczorek, W. F., Barnes, G. M., & Tidwell, M.-C. O. (2006). Multiple risk factors for pathological gambling: Individual, social and ecological. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(6), 1548–1568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welte, J. W., Wieczorek, W. F., Barnes, G. M., Tidwell, M.-C. O., & Hoffman, J. H. (2004). The relationship of ecological and geographic factors to gambling behavior and pathology. Journal of Gambling Studies, 20(4), 405–423.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R.J., Belanger, Y.D., & Arthur, J. N. (2011). Gambling in Alberta: History, current status, and socioeconomic impacts. Final Report to the Alberta Gaming Research Institute. Edmonton, Alberta, April 2, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/48495.

  • Winship, C., & Radbill, L. (1994). Sampling weights and regression analysis. Sociological Methods and Research, 23(4), 230–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wynne, H. J. (2003). Introducing the Canadian Problem Gambling Index. Edmonton: Wynne Resources.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant AA018097, awarded to John W. Welte.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 1021 Main St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, United States

    John W. Welte, Grace M. Barnes & Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell

  2. Institute for Community Health Promotion, State University College of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States

    William F. Wieczorek

Authors
  1. John W. Welte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Grace M. Barnes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. William F. Wieczorek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John W. Welte.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Welte, J.W., Barnes, G.M., Tidwell, MC.O. et al. Predictors of Problem Gambling in the U.S.. J Gambl Stud 33, 327–342 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9639-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9639-1

Keywords

search

Navigation