The purpose of this study was to explore the association between problem gambling (PG) and participation in different forms of gambling in order to elucidate relationships between PG, gambling involvement and gambling intensity. Using data from the first wave of the Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (Swelogs) (n = 4,991), the study tested four hypotheses, namely that (1) some forms of gambling are more closely associated with PG than other forms; (2) high gambling involvement is associated with PG; (3) gambling involvement is positively associated with the intensity of gambling; and (4) the relationship between gambling involvement and PG is influenced by the specific forms of gambling in which individuals participate. All four hypotheses were supported. More specifically, the study found that while many PGs regularly participate in multiple forms of gambling, half of PGs participate regularly in only one or two forms of gambling. The study concluded that some forms of gambling are more closely associated with problem gambling than other forms, and that gambling policy and regulation, as well as the development of responsible gambling initiatives, should focus on these forms.

No abstract

Although it is seen by many as a form of leisure and recreation, gambling can have serious repercussions for individuals, families, and society as a whole. The harmful effects of gambling have been studied for decades in an attempt to understand individual differences in gambling engagement and the lifecourse of gambling-related problems. In this publication, we present a comprehensive, internationally relevant conceptual framework of "harmful gambling" that moves beyond a symptoms-based view of harm and addresses a broad set of factors related to population risk, community, and societal effects. Factors included in the framework represent major topics relating to gambling that range from specific (gambling environment, exposure, types, and resources) to general (cultural, social, psychological, and biological). The framework has been created by international, interdisciplinary experts in order to facilitate an understanding of harmful gambling. It reflects the state of knowledge related to factors influencing harmful gambling, and serves a secondary purpose as a guide for the development of future research programs and to educate policy makers on issues related to harmful gambling. Gambling Research Exchange Ontario (GREO) (formerly the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre (OPGRC) located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada) has facilitated the development of the Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling and retains responsibility for keeping it up-to-date.

This study qualitatively explored the impact of gambling advertising on problem gambling by interviewing twenty-five people with current or past gambling problems. Interviews were relatively long and involved the participants' viewing numerous examples of gambling advertising. A quarter of the participants reported that gambling advertising had no impact on their problems, slightly over half of them reported that advertising had a marginal impact, and one fifth reported a tangible impact. However, none considered advertising to be a main cause of their gambling problems. The negative self-perceived impact was primarily that advertising triggered impulses to gamble. Advertising thus increased already high involvement in gambling and/or made it harder to stick to a decision to gamble less or not at all.

This study investigated the negative influence of gambling advertising, that is, gambling more often or for more money than intended. We analyzed data from wave four of the Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (Swelogs), in which the self-perceived negative influence of gambling advertising was measured by responses to three survey questions. Few gamblers reported having been negatively influenced by gambling advertising. Among those who reported such influence, problem gamblers were overrepresented. Those who had set limits for their gambling reported a negative influence from advertising more often than others, which likely was caused by a perception that advertising is detrimental to efforts to cut down on excessive gambling. A multivariate regression analysis showed that negative influence from gambling advertising was positively associated with problem gambling, gambling at least monthly, participation in online gambling, and being in the age group 30-49 years. We conclude that although few gamblers are negatively influenced by gambling advertising, the adverse effects on those that are should not be neglected. For a considerable number of people, gambling advertising substantially contributes to problem gambling.