Abstract
Problem gambling is a rising concern among adolescent populations; youth gamble more frequently than adults, and those who gamble are more susceptible than adults to maladaptive outcomes. Research shows that gambling problems are exacerbated among minorities, despite lower rates of gambling frequency. Minority youth are at especially high risk for problematic gambling outcomes, though they have not been widely studied. The objectives of this study were to (a) investigate gambling frequency and rates of associated problems among rural, African American youth, (b) examine risk factors associated with gambling problems, and (c) explore preferences for game type. Hypotheses were tested with survey data from 270 African American youth from rural communities in Georgia, ages 14–17. Past-year gambling prevalence was 38% (48% of males and 28% of females), and 30% of those who gambled (11% of the total sample) reported at least one problem behavior associated with gambling. Confirmatory factor analysis established a distinction between games of skill versus luck. Gambling problems were associated with skill games, and youth played skill games more than luck games. Substance use and anger scores predicted gambling frequency, and gambling frequency predicted gambling problems. Depression scores provided no predictive utility. Poverty status was negatively associated with skill gambling, and there was no association between poverty status and luck gambling. Males gambled more frequently, had more gambling problems, and were more likely to engage in skill gambling relative to females.
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This research was supported by Award Number R01AA021774 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Award Number P50DA051361 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or the National Institutes of Health.
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The parent study was designed by Steven M. Kogan. All authors contributed to the current study’s conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by Steven M. Kogan and Adam S. Goodie. Analyses were performed by Theresa R. Reilly. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Theresa R. Reilly, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This manuscript has not been submitted in part or in whole for publication elsewhere. Portions of these findings were presented as a poster at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
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All participants were involved in the informed consent and debriefing process in compliance with ethical standards. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Georgia.
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Reilly, T.R., Goodie, A.S. & Kogan, S.M. Relations Among Gambling Behavior, Associated Problems, Game Type, and Risk Factors in a Rural, African American, Adolescent Sample. J Gambl Stud 38, 425–443 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-021-10060-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-021-10060-z