Adolescent Alcohol-Drinking Frequency and Problem-Gambling Severity: Adolescent Perceptions Regarding Problem-Gambling Prevention and Parental/Adult Behaviors and Attitudes

Loot boxes are items in video games that may be paid for with real-world money, but which contain randomised contents. There is a reliable correlation between loot box spending and problem gambling severity: The more money gamers spend on loot boxes, the more severe their problem gambling tends to be. However, it is unclear whether this link represents a case in which loot box spending causes problem gambling; a case in which the gambling-like nature of loot boxes cause problem gamblers to spend more money; or whether it simply represents a case in which there is a general dysregulation in in-game spending amongst problem gamblers, nonspecific to loot boxes.The multiplayer video game Heroes of the Storm recently removed loot boxes. In order to better understand links between loot boxes and problem gambling, we conducted an analysis of players of Heroes of the Storm (n=112) both before and after the removal of loot boxes.There were a complex pattern of results. In general, when loot boxes were removed from Heroes of the Storm, problem gamblers appeared to spend significantly less money in-game in contrast to other groups. These results suggest that the presence of loot boxes in a game may lead to problem gamblers spending more money in-game. It therefore seems possible that links between loot box spending and problem gambling are not due to a general dysregulation in in-game spending amongst problem gamblers, but rather are to do with specific features of loot boxes themselves.

Gambling problems in bipolar disorder in the UK: Prevalence and distribution

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.114.154286 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 207 (4) ◽

pp. 328-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Lisa Jones ◽

Alice Metcalf ◽

Katherine Gordon-Smith ◽

Liz Forty ◽

Amy Perry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Problem Gambling ◽

Severity Index ◽

Gambling Problems ◽

Rapid Cycling ◽

Probable Significance ◽

History Of ◽

Gambling Severity ◽

The Uk

BackgroundNorth American studies show bipolar disorder is associated with elevated rates of problem gambling; however, little is known about rates in the different presentations of bipolar illness.AimsTo determine the prevalence and distribution of problem gambling in people with bipolar disorder in the UK.MethodThe Problem Gambling Severity Index was used to measure gambling problems in 635 participants with bipolar disorder.ResultsModerate to severe gambling problems were four times higher in people with bipolar disorder than in the general population, and were associated with type 2 disorder (OR = 1.74, P = 0.036), history of suicidal ideation or attempt (OR = 3.44, P = 0.02) and rapid cycling (OR = 2.63, P = 0.008).ConclusionsApproximately 1 in 10 patients with bipolar disorder may be at moderate to severe risk of problem gambling, possibly associated with suicidal behaviour and a rapid cycling course. Elevated rates of gambling problems in type 2 disorder highlight the probable significance of modest but unstable mood disturbance in the development and maintenance of such problems.

Association of Alcohol Drinking Patterns with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Korean Adults: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2018

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126433 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6433

Author(s):

Seung Won Lee ◽

Sung-In Jang

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Binge Drinking ◽

Alcohol Drinking ◽

Hdl Cholesterol ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Korean Adults ◽

Alcohol Drinking Patterns ◽

Drinking Frequency

This study examined the association of alcohol drinking patterns with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in a nationally representative sample of South Korean adults. The cross-sectional study included 12,830 current drinkers (6438 men and 6392 women) who were at least 20 years old. Measures of alcohol drinking patterns included average drinking frequency, usual quantity, and binge drinking frequency over the past year. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for MetS and its components according to alcohol drinking patterns, and also to examine linear trends in these relationships. The prevalence of MetS was 1822 (26.2%) in men and 1313 (17.5%) in women. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, drinking quantity and binge drinking frequency were positively associated with MetS in both sexes. Regarding components of MetS, while the risk of low HDL cholesterol decreased as drinking frequency increased, other MetS components (abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, and impaired fasting glucose) worsened. Our results suggest that separate management of each component of MetS will be required to protect cardio-metabolic health, and a healthy drinking culture that refrains from binge drinking should be established in the context of public health.

Our Voices Matter: Using Lived Experience to Promote Equity in Problem Gambling Prevention

Current Addiction Reports ◽

10.1007/s40429-021-00369-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Victor Ortiz ◽

Rachael Cain ◽

Scott W. Formica ◽

Rebecca Bishop ◽

Haner Hernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Problem Gambling ◽

Lived Experience ◽

Culturally Responsive ◽

Substance Misuse ◽

Community Voice ◽

Men Of Color ◽

History Of ◽

Planning Processes ◽

Gambling Prevention

Abstract Purpose of Review The field of problem gambling has been historically disconnected from the community experience of gambling and people of color, leading to a lack of integration of those with lived experience into programming. The aim of this article is to describe community-centered efforts to prevent and mitigate harm from problem gambling in Massachusetts—including a pilot program, the Massachusetts Ambassador Project, which is grounded within public health and lived experience frameworks. Recent Findings To engage Massachusetts communities in problem gambling prevention, planning processes were conducted to develop culturally appropriate prevention strategies. One of the recurrent themes was the desire of men in the substance misuse recovery community to share their knowledge with others, specifically, men of color who experience racism and health disparities. This finding informed the development of the Ambassador Project, a novel, peer-based, community-centered, and culturally responsive approach for men of color who have a history of substance misuse to engage other men of color in problem gambling prevention. Two organizations pilot tested the project and reached 4388 individuals. The pilot led to several findings in the design and implementation of related projects. Lessons are shared in three categories: structure, support, and implementation. Summary This article demonstrates an innovative approach to connect the field of problem gambling prevention to the community experience, using a public health and social justice lens. Others in the field should acknowledge the disconnect between problem gambling and the lived experience of those disproportionately impacted by creating opportunities for community voice to be at the center of programming.

A preliminary adaptation of the Problem Gambling Severity Index for Indigenous Australians: internal reliability and construct validity

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1111/1753-6405.12254 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 349-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sue Bertossa ◽

Peter Harvey ◽

David Smith ◽

Alwin Chong

Keyword(s):

Construct Validity ◽

Problem Gambling ◽

Severity Index ◽

Indigenous Australians ◽

Internal Reliability ◽

Problem Gambling Severity Index ◽

Gambling Severity

Validity of the Problem Gambling Severity Index Interpretive Categories

Journal of Gambling Studies ◽

10.1007/s10899-012-9300-6 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 311-327 ◽

Cited By ~ 129

Author(s):

Shawn R. Currie ◽

David C. Hodgins ◽

David M. Casey

Keyword(s):

Problem Gambling ◽

Severity Index ◽

Problem Gambling Severity Index ◽

Gambling Severity

Hey Big Spender: An Ecological Momentary Assessment of Sports and Race Betting Expenditure by Gambler Characteristics

Journal of Gambling Issues ◽

10.4309/jgi.2019.42.3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nerilee Hing ◽

Alex MT Russell ◽

Anna Thomas ◽

Rebecca Jenkinson

Keyword(s):

Problem Gambling ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Gambling Problems ◽

Moderate Risk ◽

Harm Minimisation ◽

Expenditure Data ◽

Gambling Severity ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

A major obstacle to understanding how expenditure varies amongst people who gamble is the difficulty of obtaining accurate expenditure data from individual gamblers. To overcome the shortcomings of retrospective self-reports, this study used a prospective ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design to capture these data every 24/48 hours. It aimed to examine 1) demographic, psychological, behavioural and contextual characteristics of high-spending sports and race bettors, and 2) the relationship between betting outlay and problem gambling severity. A baseline survey was completed by 320 regular sports bettors and 402 regular race bettors, followed by 15 EMA surveys over three non-consecutive weeks. Higher spending bettors were more likely to: be male, place more of their bets online, have higher disposable incomes, have commenced betting at a younger age, have more accounts with betting operators, and bet when affected by alcohol. The analyses confirmed the strong link between problem gambling severity and financial outlay on betting. Regular sports bettors experiencing gambling problems spent four times more, and those at moderate-risk spent three times more, than their non-problem gambling counterparts. Regular race bettors experiencing gambling problems spent three times more, and those at moderate-risk spent twice as much, as the non-problem gambling race bettors. These results suggest that regulatory and other initiatives that help bettors to limit or reduce their financial outlay on betting should be central to harm minimisation efforts, in order to reduce the growing number of bettors experiencing gambling problems and harm. Résumé Un des principaux obstacles à la compréhension de la variation des dépenses entre les joueurs est la difficulté d’obtenir des données précises sur les dépenses de la part de joueurs individuels. Pour pallier les faiblesses d’auto-évaluations rétrospectives, cette étude visait à utiliser un modèle d’évaluation écologique momentanée (EMA) prospective pour saisir ces données toutes les 24 à 48 heures, afin d’examiner 1) les caractéristiques démographiques, psychologiques, comportementales et contextuelles de gros parieurs de course et de paris sportifs et 2) la relation entre les dépenses de paris et la gravité du jeu problématique. Une enquête initiale a été réalisée auprès de 320 parieurs sportifs et de 402 parieurs de course réguliers, suivie de 15 sondages EMA sur trois semaines non consécutives. Les plus gros parieurs étaient plus susceptibles de: placer davantage de paris en ligne, d’avoir un revenu disponible plus élevé, d’avoir commencé à parier à un plus jeune âge, d’avoir davantage de comptes auprès d’opérateurs de paris et de parier sous l’influence de l’alcool. Les analyses ont confirmé le lien étroit qui existe entre la gravité du jeu problématique et les dépenses financières consacrées aux paris. Les parieurs sportifs réguliers aux prises avec des problèmes de jeu dépensaient quatre fois plus et ceux à risque modéré, trois fois plus, que leurs homologues sans problème de jeu. Les parieurs de course réguliers aux prises avec des problèmes de jeu dépensaient trois fois plus et ceux à risque modéré, deux fois plus, que leurs homologues sans problème de jeu. Ces résultats laissent entrevoir que les initiatives réglementaires et autres initiatives qui aident les parieurs à limiter ou à réduire leurs dépenses en paris devraient être au cœur des efforts de minimisation des préjudices, afin de réduire le nombre croissant de parieurs ayant des problèmes de jeu et de préjudices.