Contextual and individual factors associated with gambling problems and gambling behavior in adolescence and young adulthood

The project did focus on factors related to initiation and maintenance of gambling problems. A longitudinal survey among youths (17-19 years) and a large population study have been conducted, as well as experiments investigating the effects of negative wins, alcohol intake and social facilitation. Registry data from Norsk Tipping were also analyzed. Those with gambling problems reported to be more influenced by advertising than those without problems. Few youths had gambling problems. Attitudes towards gambling were influenced by sex, accept of and experience with gambling of close others. Changes in attitudes towards gambling were influenced by attitudes of close others, personality and behavior. Psychological problems and gambling problems seemed to influence each other mutually over time. The experiments showed that neither alcohol intake nor negative wins influenced gambling behavior. However when gambling alone one gambled more often and faster and loosed less over time compared to gambling with other present. Registry data showed that gambling behavior varied more in locations serving alcohol. Negative wins increased the probability of continuing gambling compared to losses. The number of terminals at gambling locations seems to influence gambling behavior. In all 6 papers from the project are published and 5 are currently submitted.

Pathological gambling comprises gambling behavior that persists in spite of severe negative consequences. Identification of both contextual and individual factors that can predict and cause such behavior has important ramifications for prevention and trea tment of gambling problems. The present project has 3 main approaches: 1) A three wave longitudinal survey of 3000 adolescents from underage (17.5 yrs) gambling at T1, to legal gambling age at T2 (18.5 yrs) and T3 (19.5 yrs) comprising questions about de mography, friends who gamble, parental monitoring, family cohesion, personality, cognitive distortions, mental health, drugs use, gambling attitudes and motivations and gaming will be conducted. Specific actions (warning letters, reminders, and monetary r ewards) are taken to obtain a high response rate. 2) Tracking data: Data from all EMGs in Norway are stored on servers belonging to the state owned gambling monopolist (Norsk Tipping) where every gambler are identified by a card necessary to gamble with t he EMGs. We have gained access to these data by an exclusive research contract and will investigate whether negative wins (winning less than the stake) influence later gambling behavior (bet sizes and gambling frequency), whether gambling behavior (bet si zes and frequency) is influenced by alcohol serving (by comparing venues serving and not serving alcohol) and whether social facilitation (operationalized as number of EMGs at a specific venue) influences gambling behavior. 3) Laboratory experiments: a) Comparing two conditions (one with 25% negative wins and one with 0% negative wins), b) comparing 2 x 2 conditions (with and without alcohol) and (with and without alcohol expectations) c) comparing three conditions (gambling alone, with two strangers, wi th two friends). The dependent variables across the three experiments comprise average bet size, number of games played, physiological activation and gambling related cognitions.