Mobile Gambling Among Youth: A Warning Sign for Problem Gambling?

Abstract

With the rapid development of technology in the gambling industry, underage mobile gambling has become a growing concern. The present study investigated the prevalence of adolescent mobile gambling and the relationship between frequency of mobile gambling and gambling-related problems. A survey assessing past-year gambling behavior, gambling problems, perceived risk for gambling, and parental and peer disapproval of gambling was completed by 6,818 junior/senior high school students aged 10 to 19. A descriptive analysis demonstrated a 5% prevalence of mobile gambling, and regular mobile gambling (at least monthly) was associated with a higher risk of developing a gambling problem and engagement in other forms of gambling. A hierarchical logistic regression revealed that being female, younger, and perceiving higher parental disapproval of gambling is related to less past-year mobile gambling. Perceived risk of gambling-related harms and peer disapproval were not significant predictors after controlling for other factors. The results suggest that underage mobile gambling may serve as one warning sign of adolescent problem gambling. Given that mobile gambling accessibility is increasing, the results provide valuable information for early intervention and prevention.RésuméAvec le développement rapide de la technologie dans le secteur du jeu, le jeu sur appareil portable chez les personnes mineures devient une préoccupation croissante. La présente étude a examiné la prévalence du jeu sur portable chez les adolescents et la relation entre la fréquence des jeux de hasard sur portable et les problèmes liés au jeu. Un sondage évaluant le comportement de jeu au cours de l’année précédente, les problèmes de jeu, le risque perçu de jeu et la désapprobation des parents et des pairs a été effectué auprès de 6 818 élèves du secondaire, âgés de 10 à 19 ans. Une analyse descriptive a démontré une prévalence de 5 % du jeu sur portable, et le jeu régulier sur portable (au moins une fois par mois) était associé à un risque plus élevé de développer un problème de jeu et de s’engager dans d’autres formes de jeu. Une régression logistique hiérarchique a révélé que le fait d’être une femme, d’être plus jeune et de percevoir une grande désapprobation parentale à l’égard des jeux de hasard a donné lieu à moins de jeu sur portable au cours de l’année écoulée. Le risque perçu de méfaits liés au jeu et la désapprobation par les pairs n’étaient pas des prédicteurs significatifs, après neutralisation d’autres facteurs. Les résultats montrent que le jeu sur appareil portable chez les mineurs peut constituer un signe d’avertissement du jeu problématique chez les adolescents. Étant donné que l’accessibilité au jeu sur portable augmente, les résultats fournissent des données précieuses pour l’intervention précoce et la prévention.

Annual Research Review: Emergence of problem gambling from childhood to emerging adulthood: a systematic review

“…Out of the 45 articles that were included within the present review, 32 (71.11%) were published within the past 5 years (2016–2021). A total of 41 unique studies were included, with two articles utilizing a sample of high‐school students from the United States (Marchica, Zhao, Derevensky, & Ivoska, 2017; Zhao, Marchica, Derevensky, & Ivoska, 2018), two articles utilizing a sample of adolescents and emerging adults from the United Kingdom (Wardle et al., 2020; Wardle & Zendle, 2021), and three articles utilizing a sample of Canadian high‐school students (Elton‐Marshall et al., 2016; Veselka, Wijesingha, Leatherdale, Turner, & Elton‐Marshall, 2018; Wijesingha, Leatherdale, Turner, & Elton‐Marshall, 2017). Of these 41 unique studies, a majority of the samples were from Canada ( n = 8), the United States ( n = 6), the United Kingdom ( n = 4), Australia ( n = 4), Italy ( n = 3), and Spain ( n = 3), with the remaining studies including European, Asian, and Oceanic samples ( n = 13).…”

“…For children and adolescents, 11 articles noted a significant association between more frequent online gambling and an increased risk of at‐risk/problem gambling (Baggio et al., 2017; Canale et al., 2016; De Luigi et al., 2018; Elton‐Marshall et al., 2016; Giralt et al., 2018; Gonzalez‐Cabrera et al., 2020; Kang et al., 2019; Martinez‐Loredo, Grande‐Gosende, Fernandez‐Artamendi, Secades‐Villa, & Fernandez‐Hermida, 2019; Wardle, 2019; Wijesingha et al., 2017; Wong & So, 2014), although one effect was no longer significant when other forms of gambling were controlled for (Baggio et al., 2017). Moreover, two studies found that youth reporting past‐year mobile gambling reported significantly greater at‐risk or harmful gambling compared with those who did not engage in these forms of gambling (Rossen et al., 2016; Zhao et al., 2018). However, this effect was reduced to non‐significance in the study that included additional risk and protective factors as covariates (e.g., emotional well‐being, experience of violence, involvement in other risk behaviors, and social connectedness; Rossen et al., 2016).…”

“…In the article by Zhao et al. (2018), specific attention was placed on mobile forms of fantasy sports betting. Results from the study indicated that fantasy sports betting and daily fantasy sports betting were significantly associated with mobile gambling, with a greater frequency of mobile gambling being associated with an increased risk of problem gambling.…”

“…Two articles utilizing the same sample of adolescents from the United States investigated fantasy sports betting and the risk for problem gambling (Marchica et al., 2017; Zhao et al., 2018). The article by Marchica et al.…”

“…Regarding sex and age differences, in all age groups, males were more likely than females to report online gambling, gambling via a mobile device and/or problem gambling (Giralt et al, 2018;Gonzalez-Cabrera et al, 2020;Kang et al, 2019;Martinez-Loredo et al, 2019;McBride & Derevensky, 2012;Turner et al, 2018;Wijesingha et al, 2017;Wong, 2010;Wong & So, 2014;Zhao et al, 2018). As for differences based on age, older adolescents and emerging adults were more likely than younger youth to gamble online (Kang et al, 2019;Kerber, 2005;Turner et al, 2018;Zhao et al, 2018), Three longitudinal studies investigated the relationship between online gambling and problem gambling. One 3-year longitudinal study focused on the gambling behaviors of Swedish adolescents and found that online poker, online casino playing, and online sports betting at age 13-15 years were not significant predictors of problem gambling at age 16-18 years (Vadlin et al, 2018).…”