The Prevalence and Correlates of Gambling in Australian Secondary School Students

Exploring Perspectives Towards the Gambling Industry and Its Marketing Strategies Among Young People in Western Australia

ISSUE ADDRESSED

The gambling industry utilises a range of strategies to attract and retain customers and limit meaningful gambling reform. Industry marketing strategies have demonstrated appeal to young people; however, little is known regarding how young people perceive and engage with gambling and industry marketing strategies in a Western Australian context. Young people's perspectives are vital to effectively respond to the harmful impacts of such commercial determinants on health and social outcomes.

METHODS

Constructivist Grounded Theory guided data collection and analysis of online group interviews with 25 young people aged 12 to 17 years old residing in Western Australia. Eligible participants received parent or caregiver consent, had lived in WA for at least 5 years, had access to technology, and able to communicate in English.

RESULTS

Five key themes were constructed regarding young people's perspectives towards gambling and industry marketing strategies in Western Australia: exposure to gambling marketing is pervasive and inescapable in multiple environments; industry appeal to young people through culturally valued identities; gambling is normalised and embedded in the everyday; corporate power and government reciprocity protects commercial gambling interests; personalising responsibility for preventing gambling harms.

CONCLUSION

This research provides further evidence about young people's everyday exposure to gambling and the need for comprehensive approaches to protect them from industry marketing. SO WHAT?: Findings reinforce the ubiquity of young people's exposure to gambling and the highly engaging and sophisticated tactics used by industry to engage young people in their harmful products. Researchers, advocates, practitioners and policymakers can use these findings to further advocate for increased restrictions on children's exposure to gambling marketing.

Gambling and other addictive behaviors among higher education students in Finland-insights from a large-scale survey

Introduction

Problem gambling forms a continuum of severity from mild to moderate and severe. While most young individuals who gamble do so responsibly, for some gambling becomes a problem with severe negative consequences. Excessive gambling is strongly linked with substance use and other behavioral addictions, particularly among students.

Methods

In this study we draw from a large sample of higher education students to evaluate the links between gambling behavior, socioeconomic status, mental health, alcohol use and other potentially addictive behaviors. We analyzed our data using post-stratification survey weighted logistic regression modeling.

Results

Our main findings were that (i) students in polytechnics were more prone to gamble and experience harms than university students, (ii) self-perceived problem gambling was significantly associated with alcohol use but not with drug use or smoking, and (iii) compulsive internet use predicted gambling problems but not increased gambling activity.

Discussion

Our results underscore the need for early detection of harmful behaviors among students, and early interventions for those with severe problems. Student health checks should be used to screen for harmful gambling habits and difficulties in handling finances.

Internet, App-Based, and Casino Gambling: Associations Between Modality, Problem Gambling, and Substance Use

Technology-based gambling prevalence is not well understood since relevant questions are not included in health and disease surveillance studies. The current study sought to estimate the prevalence of internet-based and smartphone app-based gambling, along with casino gambling, in a sample of U.S. young adults and determine if gambling modality was associated with problem gambling symptoms or substance use. The 2022 Rhode Island Young Adult Survey included N = 1,022 students between the ages of 18 to 25 years old who had lived in Rhode Island, with n = 414 lifetime gamblers (40.5%) included in this study. Odds of gambling via a smartphone app and on the internet, respectively, were greater in heterosexual cis-males compared to heterosexual cis-females (OR[95%CI] = 3.14 [1.25,7.91]; OR[95%CI] = 6.30 [2.05,19.3]). Internet gambling amongst employed students was less common than among those who were not a student and not employed (OR[95%CI] = 0.25 [0.06,1.00]). Odds of problem gambling symptoms were higher among those who gambled via a smartphone app (OR[95%CI] = 3.23 [1.21,8.60]). All forms of gambling were associated with alcohol consumption, although the strength of the association was stronger in app and internet gamblers. Casino gamblers were more likely to be high risk marijuana and illicit drug users. The rising availability of app gambling coupled with its social, psychological, and cultural context may presents an alternative pathway to problem gambling. Bans on internet gambling and/or strict guidelines on the frequency of wagers and cash placed per wager, should be considered as viable methods to mitigate associated consequences.

The prevalence of gambling and problematic gambling: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Gambling behaviours have become of increased public health interest, but data on prevalence remain scarce. In this study, we aimed to estimate for adults and adolescents the prevalence of any gambling activity, the prevalence of engaging in specific gambling activities, the prevalence of any risk gambling and problematic gambling, and the prevalence of any risk and problematic gambling by gambling activity.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. We systematically searched for peer-reviewed literature (on MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycInfo) and grey literature to identify papers published between Jan 1, 2010, and March 4, 2024. We searched for any gambling, including engagement with individual gambling activities, and problematic gambling data among adults and adolescents. We included papers that reported the prevalence or proportion of a gambling outcome of interest. We excluded papers of non-original data or based on a biased sample. Data were extracted into a bespoke Microsoft Access database, with the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool used to identify the risk of bias for each sample. Representative population survey estimates were firstly meta-analysed into country-level prevalence estimates, using metaprop, of any gambling, any risk gambling, problematic gambling, and by gambling activity. Secondly, population-weighted regional-level and global estimates were generated for any gambling, any risk gambling, problematic gambling, and specific gambling activity. This review is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021251835).

FINDINGS

We screened 3692 reports, with 380 representative unique samples, in 68 countries and territories. Overall, the included samples consisted of slightly more men or male individuals, with a mean age of 29·72 years, and most samples identified were from high-income countries. Of these samples, 366 were included in the meta-analysis. Globally, 46·2% (95% CI 41·7-50·8) of adults and 17·9% (14·8-21·2) of adolescents had gambled in the past 12 months. Rates of gambling were higher among men (49·1%; 45·5-52·6) than women (37·4%; 32·0-42·5). Among adults, 8·7% (6·6-11·3) were classified as engaging in any risk gambling, and 1·41% (1·06-1·84) were engaging in problematic gambling. Among adults, rates of problematic gambling were greatest among online casino or slots gambling (15·8%; 10·7-21·6). There were few data reported on any risk and problematic gambling among adolescent samples.

INTERPRETATION

Existing evidence suggests that gambling is prevalent globally, that a substantial proportion of the population engage in problematic gambling, and that rates of problematic gambling are greatest among those gambling on online formats. Given the growth of the online gambling industry and the association between gambling and a range of public health harms, governments need to give greater attention to the strict regulation and monitoring of gambling globally.

FUNDING

Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

"It's changing our lives, not for the better. It's important that we have a say". The role of young people in informing public health and policy decisions about gambling marketing

BACKGROUND

Marketing has a significant impact on the normalisation of gambling for youth across the globe. This has included shaping positive attitudes towards gambling, as well as increasing the social and cultural acceptance of gambling - particularly aligned with valued activities such as sport. Because of this, public health experts argue that gambling marketing poses a significant risk to the health and wellbeing of youth. While young people are increasingly exposed to, and impacted by marketing for gambling products, they are rarely consulted about policy issues and options. This study aimed to explore young Australians' perceptions of current policy responses to gambling advertising, whether they thought young people should be involved in discussions and decisions about gambling marketing regulations, and their perceptions of the duty of governments to protect young people from gambling industry marketing strategies.

METHODS

Qualitative focus groups (n = 22) were held with n = 64, 12-17 year olds in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales. Participants were asked to reflect on current gambling policies, particularly relating to marketing, what they thought should be done about gambling marketing, and if and how young people should be included in public health responses to gambling. An interpretivist 'Big Q' approach to reflexive thematic analysis was used.

RESULTS

Young people highlighted the need for more effective regulations around the content and frequency of gambling marketing. They also wanted to see more realistic representations of the negative impacts of gambling to counter persistent positive commercial marketing messages. Most thought that young people should be given an opportunity to have a say about responses to gambling due to their unique experiences. Participants identified mechanisms to increase young people's engagement in decision making, such as direct lines of communication to different levels of government, involvement in research, and diversifying ways of engagement. Specific recommendations included more regulatory action such as bans on gambling advertising.

CONCLUSIONS

Creating formal structures that facilitate the inclusion of young people's perspectives in decisions made about gambling can result in more innovative and effective strategies to prevent the harms from gambling industry products, promotions, and practices.

'Getting addicted to it and losing a lot of money… it's just like a hole.' A grounded theory model of how social determinants shape adolescents' choices to not gamble

BACKGROUND

Gambling abstinence when underage lowers the risk of harmful gambling in later life. However, little research has examined why many young people refrain from gambling, even though this knowledge can inform protective strategies and lower risk factors to reduce underage gambling and subsequent harm. This study draws on the lived experience of adolescent non-gamblers to explore how social determinants while growing up have shaped their reasons and choices to not gamble.

METHODS

Fourteen Australian non-gamblers, aged 12-17 years, participated in an in-depth individual interview (4 girls, 3 boys) or online community (4 girls, 3 boys). Questions in each condition differed, but both explored participants' gambling-related experiences while growing up, including exposure, attitudes and behaviours of parents and peers, advertising, simulated gambling and motivations for not gambling. The analysis used adaptive grounded theory methods.

RESULTS

The grounded theory model identifies several reasons for not gambling, including not being interested, being below the legal gambling age, discouragement from parent and peers, concern about gambling addiction and harm, not wanting to risk money on a low chance of winning, and moral objections. These reasons were underpinned by several social determinants, including individual, parental, peer and environmental factors that can interact to deter young people from underage gambling. Key protective factors were parental role modelling and guidance, friendship groups who avoided gambling, critical thinking, rational gambling beliefs, financial literacy and having other hobbies and interests.

CONCLUSIONS

Choices to not gamble emanated from multiple layers of influence, implying that multi-layered interventions, aligned with a public health response, are needed to deter underage gambling. At the environmental level, better age-gating for monetary and simulated gambling, countering cultural pressures, and less exposure to promotional gambling messages, may assist young people to resist these influences. Interventions that support parents to provide appropriate role modelling and guidance for their children are also important. Youth education could include cautionary tales from people with lived experience of gambling harm, and education to increase young people's financial literacy, ability to recognise marketing tactics, awareness of the risks and harms of gambling, and how to resist peer and other normalising gambling influences.