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Demographic, personality, cognitive and behavioral correlates of off-course betting involvement

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Abstract

A large (n=381) exploratory survey of off-course bettors was conducted as a step towards rectifying deficits in current gambling literature. Information collected by interviews and questionnaires from off-course betting agency customers showed the level of betting involvement to be largely unrelated to demographic and cognitive variables and sensation seeking, but related to a variety of betting behaviors. A factor analysis produced three independent factors accounting for 30% of the variance. Loadings on these suggested an independence of items involved in the process of betting and those related to the control of betting behaviors, implying that non-pathological gambling involvement may be a reasonable goal for treatment programs.

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Dickerson, M., Walker, M., England, S.L. et al. Demographic, personality, cognitive and behavioral correlates of off-course betting involvement. J Gambling Stud 6, 165–182 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01013496

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