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The Development of a Multi-dimensional Gambling Accessibility Scale

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Abstract

The aim of the current study was to develop a scale of gambling accessibility that would have theoretical significance to exposure theory and also serve to highlight the accessibility risk factors for problem gambling. Scale items were generated from the Productivity Commission’s (Australia’s Gambling Industries: Report No. 10. AusInfo, Canberra, 1999) recommendations and tested on a group with high exposure to the gambling environment. In total, 533 gaming venue employees (aged 18–70 years; 67% women) completed a questionnaire that included six 13-item scales measuring accessibility across a range of gambling forms (gaming machines, keno, casino table games, lotteries, horse and dog racing, sports betting). Also included in the questionnaire was the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) along with measures of gambling frequency and expenditure. Principal components analysis indicated that a common three factor structure existed across all forms of gambling and these were labelled social accessibility, physical accessibility and cognitive accessibility. However, convergent validity was not demonstrated with inconsistent correlations between each subscale and measures of gambling behaviour. These results are discussed in light of exposure theory and the further development of a multi-dimensional measure of gambling accessibility.

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Acknowledgements

Financial assistance for this research was provided by the State of Victoria through the Department of Justice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University, P.O. Box 157, Lismore, NSW, Australia

    Nerilee Hing & John Haw

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  1. Nerilee Hing
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  2. John Haw
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Correspondence to John Haw.

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Hing, N., Haw, J. The Development of a Multi-dimensional Gambling Accessibility Scale. J Gambl Stud 25, 569–581 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-009-9144-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-009-9144-x

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