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01-12-2007 | Original Paper

Perceived Availability, Risks, and Benefits of Gambling among College Students

Authors: Emerson M. Wickwire Jr, James P. Whelan, Rebecca West, Andrew Meyers, Claudia McCausland, Jason Leullen

Published in: Journal of Gambling Studies | Issue 4/2007

Abstract

The current study was an exploration of gambling-related perceptions and their relation to gambling behavior among young adult college students. Three hundred and two ethnically diverse undergraduates at a large urban public university completed a survey to assess their perceptions of the availability, risks, and benefits of gambling, and the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to assess gambling behavior and problems. Participants generally rated gambling as more available than alcohol or marijuana, and less risky than alcohol or cigarettes. The most common perceived benefits of gambling were social enhancement, financial gain, and positive changes in affect. Perceived benefits were a significant predictor of gambling problems. Perceived availability, perceived risk, and perceived benefits were found to be significant predictors of regular gambling. These results provide valuable information about the ways that college students perceive gambling and demonstrate that perceptions can be important predictors of gambling behavior.

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Title: Perceived Availability, Risks, and Benefits of Gambling among College Students
Authors: Emerson M. Wickwire Jr
James P. Whelan
Rebecca West
Andrew Meyers
Claudia McCausland
Jason Leullen
Publication date: 01-12-2007
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Gambling Studies / Issue 4/2007
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3602
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-007-9057-5

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Perceived Availability, Risks, and Benefits of Gambling among College Students

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