Scratch cards in Portugal: a hidden threat

Gambling Disorder among Porto's University Students

BACKGROUND

Gambling disorder is an emerging problem among young adults and must be researched to provide the necessary support. This study aims to characterise gambling disorders in Porto's university students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study distributed an online questionnaire to Porto's university students. The authors developed a self-administered questionnaire that included the South Oaks Gambling Screen questionnaire-Portuguese Version (SOGS-PV).

RESULTS

A total of 1123 responses were included. The participants' average age was 22.4 years (SD = 6.2), and 60.9% were women. Gambling activities were performed by 66.4% of the students, most commonly online or video games, "scratch card" games, skill games, lotteries, and sports bets. The final scores of the SOGS-PV suggested 19.7% (95% CI: 17.4-22.0) of students may have a gambling disorder, with 16.6% (95% CI: 14.4-18.8) being "probable pathological gamblers" and 3.1% (95% CI: 2.1-4.1) being "problem gamblers". Gambling in the stocks/commodities market/virtual coins, sports bets, playing cards for money, and the numbers or betting on lotteries presents a higher risk of gambling disorder. The age (OR: 0.953; 95% CI: 0.922-0.986), being male (OR: 2.756; 95% CI: 1.899-4.000), the highest daily gambling amount (OR: 3.938; 95% CI: 2.580-6.012), the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (OR: 0.129; 95% CI: 0.087-0.191), a mother with gambling disorder (OR: 5.284; 95% CI: 1.038-26.902), the personal services education area (OR: 2.858; 95% CI: 1.179-6.929), and the linguistics education area (OR: 2.984; 95% CI: 1.538-5.788) stand out as contributing factors to the development of this disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals a high level of possible gambling disorder among university students and emphasises the importance of this problem in the academic community. Physician awareness and prevention programmes are needed in this population.

The scratch card gambler: a hidden reality

Scratch cards-otherwise known as scratch tickets or instant lotteries-are a highly accessible type of lottery, due to its relative accessibility and affordability. In Portugal, the popularity of scratch cards has experienced substantial growth, with almost no regulatory reaction whatsoever. This study aims to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of scratch card gamblers, prevalent gambling habits, and their perceptions regarding scratch card gambling. This study also determines the constancy of pathological scratch card gambling, and the possible impact of regulatory measures. We found that about half of the participants studied were at risk of pathological gambling and scratch cards seem to have a clear potential for enticing higher spending in vulnerable consumers, compared to other forms of gambling games. Perception biases regarding gambling are frequent and almost no one afflicted seeks help. Regulatory measures are crucial to regulate potential problematic behaviors, specifically in high-risk persons. There is an urgent need to act, made clear by both present findings and numerous precedent warnings regarding scratch card gambling hazards.

What do Residents Consider to be Gambling and What are Their Attitudes Towards it? Evidence from the Czech Republic

The aim of the article is to contribute to an understanding of the attitudes of post-communist Europe's inhabitants towards gambling, and of their opinions concerning which activities can be regarded as gambling. The Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS-8) questionnaire was used in the survey, ensuring the international comparability of the results. For the subsequent in-depth analysis of attitudes we mainly used multidimensional statistical methods. The survey, conducted in 2017, had 1092 respondents. The least negative attitudes to gambling were found in the younger age groups, while the attitudes of senior citizens were the most negative. Concerning participation in gambling, 68.4% of the respondents had taken part in at least one of the range of gambling activities offered as choices. Participation in gambling is an important factor influencing the overall attitude of the respondents to gambling. Of equal importance was the range of intensity in their perceptions of which games can be considered to be gambling, with four similarly perceived types of gambling identified. The research shows that gambling is perceived negatively by the population of the Czech Republic. The explanation may be found in the substantial media coverage of gambling related to changes in the legislation and the tightening of restrictions.

Exploring relationships between problem gambling, scratch card gambling, and individual differences in thinking style

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Scratch cards are a popular form of lottery gambling available in many jurisdictions. However, there is a paucity of research that examines associations between individual differences in thinking style, participation in scratch card gambling, and problem gambling severity.

METHODS

In three studies, we sought to examine the relationships among these variables in large, online samples of participants. Participants completed the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), the Actively Open-Minded Thinking Scale, and self-reported their frequency of scratch card gambling.

RESULTS

Throughout all three studies, specific associations were reliably established. Specifically, negative associations were observed between participants' CRT and PGSI scores, as well as between participants' CRT scores and scratch card gambling frequency. In addition, we found a positive association between problem gambling severity and scratch card gambling frequency. Finally, problem gambling severity was shown to correlate positively with participants' willingness to pay for irrelevant information in a scratch card gambling scenario.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we observed that problem gambling severity is associated with an individuals' thinking style and scratch card gambling behavior. This study adds to the existing literature examining problem gambling, and highlights the role of thinking style in understanding gambling behavior and problematic gambling.