Psychometric Evaluation of the NORC Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS) for the Assessment of DSM-5 Gambling Disorder

The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS) is one of the most used outcome measures in gambling intervention trials. However, a screen based on DSM-5 gambling disorder criteria has yet to be developed or validated since the DSM-5 release in 2013. This omission is possibly because the criteria for gambling disorder only underwent minor changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5: the diagnostic threshold was reduced from 5 to 4 criteria, and the illegal activity criterion was removed. Validation of a measure that captures these changes is still warranted. The current study examined the psychometric properties of an online self-report past-year adaptation of the NODS based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder. Additionally, the new NODS was evaluated for how well it identifies ICD-10 pathological gambling. A diverse sample of participants (N = 959) was crowdsourced via Amazon’s TurkPrime. Internal consistency and one-week test-retest reliability were good. High correlations (r = .74–.77) with other measures of gambling problem severity were observed in addition to moderate correlations (r = .21–.36) with related but distinct constructs (e.g., gambling expenditures, time spent gambling, other addictive behaviours). All nine of the DSM-5 criteria loaded positively on one principal component, which accounted for 40% of the variance. Classification accuracy (i.e., sensitivity, specificity, predictive power) was generally very good with respect to the PGSI and ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. Future validation studies are encouraged to establish a gold standard measurement of gambling problem severity.

Understanding the Determinants of Gambling-Related Intimate Partner Violence: Perspectives From Women Who Gamble

Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are higher among women with a gambling problem. However, women's experiences of this violence, from a gendered perspective, have not been examined. Based on interviews with 24 women, this study explored how problem gambling contributes to IPV against women across three levels of influence. Findings reveal that problem gambling did not directly cause IPV, but interacts where gendered drivers and reinforcers are present to exacerbate this violence. Reducing violence against women with a gambling problem requires a coordinated, integrated multidisciplinary approach targeting different levels of influence.

The effect of gambling problems on the subjective wellbeing of gamblers’ family and friends: Evidence from large-scale population research in Australia and Canada

Background and Aims Excessive time and money spent on gambling can result in harms, not only to people experiencing a gambling problem but also to their close family and friends (“concerned significant others”; CSOs). The current study aimed to explore whether, and to what extent, CSOs experience decrements to their wellbeing due to another person’s gambling. Methods We analysed data from The Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA; N = 19,064) and the Canadian Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS; N = 3,904). Participants either self-identified as CSOs (QLS) or were identified by living in a household with a person classified in the problem gambling category by the PGSI (HILDA). Subjective well-being was measured using the Personal Wellbeing Index and single-item questions on happiness and satisfaction with life. Results CSOs reported lower subjective wellbeing than non-CSOs across both countries and on all three wellbeing measures. CSO status remained a significant predictor of lower wellbeing after controlling for demographic and socio-economic factors, and own-gambling problems. There were no significant differences across various relationships to the gambler, by gender, or between household and non-household CSOs. Discussion and Conclusions Gambling-related harms experienced by CSOs was reliably associated with a decrease in wellbeing. This decrement to CSO’s wellbeing was not as strong as that experienced by the person with the first-order gambling problem. Nevertheless, wellbeing decrements to CSOs are not limited to those living with a person with gambling problems in the household and thus affect many people.

Socio-Demographic Factors, Gambling Behaviour, and the Level of Gambling Expenditure: A Population-Based Study

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between socio-demographic factors, gambling behaviour, and the level of gambling expenditure. The data were drawn from the population-based Gambling Harms Survey 2016 and 2017 conducted in Finland. The data were linked to register-based variables. Past-year gamblers were included (Wave 1; n = 5 805, both Waves; n = 2 165). The study showed that of the 4.2 % of gamblers that produced 50.0 % of the total GE in 2016, 33.1 % of the GE was produced by those with a gambling problem and 43.3 % by those with at-risk gambling pattern. Compared to gamblers in the lowest GE group, those in the highest GE group were more likely to be men, aged 25 or older, with upper secondary education, have a high income, be on disability pension or sickness allowance, be frequent gamblers, gambling at least six game types, and showing at-risk and problem gambling patterns. Cumulative weekly GE by income tertiles remained fairly stable between the years. The results suggest that GE is highly concentrated. Among the small group of high-intensity consumers, the majority of the revenue comes from at-risk and problem gambling. Participants in the low GE group differ from those in the intermediate and high GE groups in terms of socio-demographics and gambling behaviour.

Gambling-Related Harms for Affected Others: A Finnish Population-Based Survey

Aims This study explores the prevalence of being a past-year affected other (AO) of a problem gambler by gender. The aims were to study the amount and type of gambling-related harms (GRHs) for subgroups of AOs and to distinguish GRH profiles for AO subgroups. Methods A total of 7186 adults aged 18 years and over participated in the Gambling Harms Survey evaluating year 2016. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Results Of all respondents, 12.9% were defined as past-year AOs (women 13.7%; men 12.1%). The proportion of affected non-family members (ANFs) was 8.4%, and 5.6% were affected family members (AFMs). AFMs were usually women, and ANFs were usually men. Emotional, relationship, and financial harms were the most common types of harm. The odds of experiencing financial harm were highest for the 18- to 34-year-olds (OR 1.82) and for those whose partner/ex-partner had a gambling problem (OR 3.91). Having a parent/step-parent (OR 1.93) and child/stepchild (OR 3.64) increased the odds of experiencing emotional harm, whereas male gender (OR 0.50) and being an ANF (OR 0.58) decreased emotional harm. Relationship harm was evident for partners/ex-partners (OR 1.97–5.07). Conclusions GRH profiles for AO subgroups varied, which emphasizes the need for effective harm minimization strategies for those in need.

Inventaire des cognitions à risque — Loteries sportives (ICR-LS) : un premier pas dans l’élaboration de mesures spécifiques au type de jeu/The Inventaire des cognitions à risque Loteries Sportives: A First Step in Developing Game-Specific Measures

À travers le monde, les paris sportifs représentent la deuxième forme de jeux de hasard et d’argent (JHA) la plus associée aux problèmes de jeu. Les cognitions des parieurs sportifs pourraient contribuer à cette association. Cependant, aucun outil ne semble adapté aux parieurs de loteries sportives, principalement à cause de la composante d’habileté. Cette étude vise (a) à développer l’Inventaire des cognitions à risque — Loteries sportives (ICR-LS) et en déterminer la structure factorielle, (b) à évaluer la validité de convergence de l’ICR-LS avec Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), les habitudes de jeu, et la gravité des problèmes de jeu; et (c) à évaluer les liens entre le nombre d’heures mensuelles consacrées à la préparation des paris aux loteries sportives et les habitudes de jeu. Les parieurs sportifs recrutés (N = 272) étaient principalement de sexe masculin (86,5 %), dans la vingtaine (M = 26,7 ans) et issus de la communauté universitaire (88,3 %). Les analyses en composantes principales indiquent que l’instrument possède deux dimensions (Superstitions et Habiletés), une forte cohérence interne (les coefficients alpha > ,85) et une bonne validité convergente. Des associations négligeables, mais statistiquement significatives, ressortent entre l’ICR-LS et le montant annuel dépensé aux loteries, les heures consacrées à la préparation des paris et la gravité des problèmes de jeu. En outre, le temps consacré à la préparation des paris sportifs est modérément corrélé avec le montant dépensé, la fréquence de jeu et la gravité des problèmes de jeu, ce qui incite à y voir, peut-être, un facteur de risque lié aux loteries sportives. Le temps consacré à la préparation des paris sportifs et ses effets sur les différentes sphères de vie mériteraient d’être étudiés davantage, notamment auprès de joueurs problématiques.AbstractAround the world, sports betting is the second type of gambling activity most associated with gambling problems. Thus, sports bettors’ cognitions play an essential role in this association. However, no instrument is specifically designed to assess sports bettors’ cognitions. This study aims (a) to develop the Inventaire des cognitions à risque — Loteries sportives (ICR-LS) and to determine its factor structure, (b) to assess the convergent validity of the ICR-LS with the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), gambling habits, and the severity of gambling problems; and (c) to assess the links between the number of monthly hours spent preparing for sports lottery bets and gambling habits. Participants are sport lottery bettors (N = 272) that are mainly men (86.5%) in their twenties (M = 26.7 years old), and from a university community (88.3%). Principal component analysis results indicate that the instrument is composed of two factors (Superstitions and Abilities), and shows strong internal consistency (coefficients alpha > .85) and good convergent validity. The scale shows statistically significant but negligible associations with the annual amount spent on lotteries, hours spent on the preparation of bets, and gambling problem severity. In addition, time dedicated to bet preparation is moderately associated with the amount spent, gambling frequency, and gambling problem severity, suggesting that sports bettors bet preparation time could be a risk factor in sports betting. Studies should explore further the amount of time dedicated to bet preparation and its effects on different spheres of life, especially for problem gamblers.

Efficacy of a Voluntary Self-exclusion Reinstatement Tutorial for Problem Gamblers

Voluntary self-exclusion programs allow gamblers to voluntarily be denied access to gambling venues for an agreed upon period. Many people who self-exclude decide to return to gambling venues after the exclusion period has ended, however people who reinstate may be at risk for the recurrence of gambling problems. This study was designed to determine the efficacy of a tutorial created with the intent of reducing the risk of harm to those who reinstate. People who wished to be reinstated were asked to complete a survey on gambling related issues and then watch the tutorial video. An online video-based tutorial designed to reduce gambling related harm and to provide information about treatment services was developed. The control group (N = 131) consisted of people who reinstated in the year prior to the implementation of the online tutorial. The experimental intervention group (N = 104) were those who reinstated after the implementation of the online tutorial. There was a significant decrease in gambling and problem gambling comparing pre-exclusion to during exclusion in both the experimental and control group. Furthermore, this drop in gambling problem was sustained for 6-months and 12-months after reinstatement. However, no main effect or interaction was found that supported the efficacy of the tutorial. Self-exclusion by itself was associated with a sustained reduction in problem gambling. There was no significant evidence that the educational tutorial had any additional impact on the reinstatement process.

Psychological Distress and Problem Gambling in Elite Athletes during COVID-19 Restrictions—A Web Survey in Top Leagues of Three Sports during the Pandemic

COVID-19 and lockdown strategies may affect mental health and addictive behavior differently in the population, and elite athletes are among the professions clearly affected by the pandemic. This study in top elite athletes aimed to study current perceived psychological influence from COVID-19 and symptoms of depression, anxiety and changes in alcohol drinking, gambling behavior and problem gambling in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. This web survey included athletes in top leagues of soccer, ice hockey and handball in Sweden (N = 327, 62% men). A total of 66% and 51% were worried about the future of their sport or about their own future in sports, respectively. Feeling worse psychologically during the pandemic was common (72% of women, 40% of men, p < 0.001); depression criteria were endorsed by 19% of women and three percent of men (p < 0.001); anxiety criteria by 20% of women and five percent of men (p < 0.001). Reporting increased gambling during the pandemic was associated with gambling problem severity. Moderate-risk or problem gambling was seen in 10% of men and none of the women (p < 0.001). Depression and anxiety were associated with feeling worse during the COVID-19 pandemic and with concern over one’s own sports future. In conclusion, COVID-19-related distress is common in elite athletes and associated with mental health symptoms. Gambling increase during the pandemic was rare, but related to gambling problems, which were common in male athletes. The calls for increased focus on COVID-19-related concerns in athletes and on problem gambling in male athletes.