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International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 6/2013

01-12-2013

Characteristics and Predictors of Problem Gambling on the Internet

Authors: Abby McCormack, Gillian W. Shorter, Mark D. Griffiths

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Issue 6/2013

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Abstract

Internet gambling participation is rapidly increasing, however little is known about potential links between internet gambling and problem gambling. This study examined the predictors of online problem gambling and whether these differed from established predictors of offline problem gambling. Data were obtained online in response to posts on 32 international gambling websites (n = 1,119). Potential correlates included demographic questions, gambling activities, frequency of gambling, and reasons for gambling online. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that compared to non-problem gamblers, online problem gamblers were more likely to be male, smoke cigarettes, gamble alone, have a disability, lie about their age online, gamble online for more than 4 h at a time, engage in two or more online gambling activities regularly, gamble after a near miss, and drink alcohol while gambling online. Therefore, characteristics predictive of offline problem gambling are similar to those predicting online problem gambling. As a result online gambling could potentially be problematic for those individuals who have problems with gambling more generally.
Footnotes
1
An internet search for online gambling websites was conducted with the aim of generating websites with a range of different gambling activities, e.g. some focused on poker; some had casino games; while others focused on bingo. Some moderators of the websites banned the accounts as they believed the message to be spam or did not want research being conducted so we had to choose websites based on where it was possible to post the link to the survey. Most websites were operating from the UK but attracted members worldwide.
 
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Metadata
Title
Characteristics and Predictors of Problem Gambling on the Internet
Authors
Abby McCormack
Gillian W. Shorter
Mark D. Griffiths
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction / Issue 6/2013
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-013-9439-0

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