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Open Access 01-06-2014 | Original Paper

Risk Factors for Problem Gambling Among Indigenous Australians: An Empirical Study

Authors: Nerilee Hing, Helen Breen, Ashley Gordon, Alex Russell

Published in: Journal of Gambling Studies | Issue 2/2014

Abstract

Despite a long history of gambling amongst many Indigenous peoples, knowledge about contemporary Indigenous gambling is sparse. In Australia, previous studies of Indigenous gambling have been severely limited in number, scope and rigour. The research reported in this paper is based on the first Indigenous-specific quantitative gambling research undertaken in Australia since 1996 and draws on the largest sample to date. This study examined numerous aspects of gambling among Indigenous Australians. After appropriate consultations and permission, the study collected surveys from 1,259 self-selected Indigenous adults in 2011 at three Indigenous festivals, online and in several Indigenous communities. This paper draws on these data to identify problem gambling risk factors by comparing selected socio-demographic characteristics, early exposure to gambling, gambling motivations, gambling behaviour, gambling cognitions, and substance use while gambling, amongst non-problem, low risk, moderate risk and problem gamblers. A logistic regression investigated the difference between problem gamblers and all other PGSI groups. Risk factors associated with being a problem gambler were: being older, commencing gambling when under 10 years old, always being exposed to adults gambling as a child, using alcohol and/or drugs while gambling, having family and friends who gamble, having an addiction to gambling and not gambling to socialise, having a high expenditure on commercial gambling, and living in a state or territory other than NSW or QLD. Public health measures to address these risk factors are identified.

Due to the possibly arbitrary nature of the dependent variable in the logistic regression, the model was also run as a multiple linear regression and explained 58.8% of the variance in PGSI scores (F[34,686] = 28.78, p < 0.001). The only change to significant predictors was for gender (females more likely to be problem gamblers, holding constant all other variables) and for those who first gambled between 10 and 14 years of age. All other predictors were as for the logistic regression.

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Title: Risk Factors for Problem Gambling Among Indigenous Australians: An Empirical Study
Authors: Nerilee Hing
Helen Breen
Ashley Gordon
Alex Russell
Publication date: 01-06-2014
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Gambling Studies / Issue 2/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3602
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-013-9364-y

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Risk Factors for Problem Gambling Among Indigenous Australians: An Empirical Study

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