Review articleAdolescent Gambling: A Review of an Emerging Field of Research
Section snippets
Research Questions
This review is intended to be of service by addressing the following questions related to adolescent gambling, as revealed in three diverse online databases and three peer-reviewed journals: (a) what types of research are being conducted, (b) what measurement instruments or diagnostic criteria are being used, (c) what is the state of understanding about adolescent gambling, and (d) what recommendations can be made for future research and prevention or intervention?
Methodology
The present methodology involved a comprehensive and systematic search of “adolescent or youth gambling” in three diverse electronic databases (MedlineAdvanced, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts) and three peer-reviewed journals (International Journal of Gambling Studies, International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, and Journal of Gambling Issues) through February 2010. Because of the fact that the focus was on adolescent gambling behavior, the following were purposefully excluded
Overview
A note is in order regarding the organization of this Results section. All the articles identified were reviewed, and are contained in the reference list and tables with corresponding reference numbers. However, because of space limitations, only the quantitative articles are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs. To avoid cumbersomeness, reference numbers are provided for results with 10 or fewer citations.
Of the 137 articles, 111 reported empirical research with original data (103
Discussion and Recommendations
Several limitations need to be discussed concerning this review. In an effort to be systematic and to adhere to space limitations, only the results from searching three diverse databases and three gambling-related journals are reported. It needs to be acknowledged that other research reports, book chapters, and publications (i.e., nonpeer reviewed reports from state gambling commissions) exist on adolescent gambling. For example, there is a need for a focused review of studies that address
Summary and Conclusion
The study of adolescent gambling, as represented in the articles reviewed for this report, can be summarized as follows: (a) it is a relatively new field of study and is conducted most often by a researchers in Britain, Canada, and the United States; (b) it is most often quantitative, prevalence-focused, descriptive, school-based, and atheoretical; (c) the results have most often been published in the Journal of Gambling Studies; (d) it is most often examined in relation to alcohol use; (e) it
References (161)
- et al.
Gambling and alcohol use among youth
Addict Behav
(1999) - et al.
Adolescent participation in the U.K. National Lottery Games
J Adolesc
(2000) - et al.
The acquisition, development and maintenance of lottery and scratchcard gambling in adolescence
J Adolesc
(1998) - et al.
Adolescent lottery and scratchcard players: Do their attitudes influence their gambling behaviour?
J Adolesc
(2004) - et al.
Adolescent machine gambling and crime
J Adolesc
(1996) - et al.
Mental health and gambling in urban female adolescents
J Adolesc Health
(2007) - et al.
Gambling, substance use and other problem behaviors among youth: A test of general deviance models
J Crim Just
(2004) - et al.
Comparison of problem-gambling and non-problem-gambling youths seeking treatment for Marijuana abuse
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
(2001) - et al.
Gambling initiation in preadolescents
J Adolesc Health
(2008) - et al.
The social determinants of youth gambling in South Australian adolescents
J Adolesc
(2003)
Empirical measures vs. perceived gambling severity among youth: Why adolescent problem gamblers fail to seek treatment
Addict Behav
Pathological gambling among high school students
Addictive Behav
Estimating the prevalence of adolescent gambling disorders: A quantitative synthesis and guide toward standard gambling nomenclature
J Gamb Stud
Disordered gambling among college students: A meta-analytic synthesis
J Gamb Stud
Adolescent gambling behavior: A prevalence study and examination of the correlates associated with problem gambling
J Gamb Stud
Juvenile gambling in North America: An analysis of long term trends and future prospects
J Gamb Stud
Prevalence estimates of adolescent gambling: A comparison of the SOGS-RA, DSM-IV-J, and the GA 20 questions
J Gamb Stud
The relationship between gambling and video-game playing behavior in children and adolescents
J Gamb Stud
Pathological gambling and related problems among adolescents
J Child Adolesc Subst Abuse
Shaping adolescent gambling behavior
Adolescence
Individual, family, and peer correlates of adolescent gambling
J Gamb Stud
Gambling and other risk behaviors among 8th to 12th-grade students
Pediatrics
Monitoring adolescent gambling in Minnesota
J Gamb Stud
Is the SOGS an accurate measurement of pathological gambling among children, adolescents, and adults?
J Gamb Stud
The South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA): Further psychometric findings from a community sample
J Gamb Stud
Comparative study of problematic gambling behaviors between American Indian and non-Indian adolescents within and near a Northern Plains reservation
Am Indian Alsk Native Ment Health Res
A developmental perspective of gambling behavior in children and adolescents
J Gamb Stud
Underlying cognitions in children's gambling behavior: Can they be modified?
Int Gamb Stud
Gambling activities of young Australians: Developing a model of behavior
J Gamb Stud
Developing the DSM-IV-MR-J criteria to identify adolescent problem gambling in non-clinical populations
J Gamb Stud
Adolescent gambling and problem gambling: Does the total consumption model apply?
J Gamb Stud
Pathological gambling among adolescents: Massachusetts Gambling Screen (MAGS)
J Gamb Stud
Prevention of problem gambling: modifying misconceptions and increasing knowledge
J Gamb Stud
Evaluation of a prevention program for pathological gambling among adolescents
J Prim Prev
Gambling awareness for youth: An analysis of the “Don't Gamble Away our Future” program
Int J Ment Health Addict
Cognitive-behavioral treatment for adolescent pathological gamblers
Behav Mod
Prevalence of gambling among Minnesota Public School students in 1992 and 1995
J Gamb Stud
Multiple addictions among dually diagnosed adolescents
J Adolesc Chem Depend
Gambling behavior in adolescent substance abuse
Subst Abuse
Pathological gambling among youthful multiple substance abusers in a therapeutic community
Br J Addict
Gambling and correlates of gambling among Minnesota Public School students
J Gamb Stud
An assessment of the validity and reliability of the SOGS-RA
J Gamb Stud
Adolescent gambling and problem gambling: A New Zealand study
N Zeal J Psychol
Betting against youth: The effects of socioeconomic marginality on gambling among young people
Youth Soc
Predictive and concurrent correlates of gambling in early adolescent boys
J Early Adolesc
Gambling behavior of students in grades seven and eight in Alberta, Canada
J Sch Health
Gambling among adolescents
Clin Pediatr
The prevalence of pathological gambling in Romanian teenagers
Minerva Med
Young offenders, gambling and video game playing
Br J Criminol
Gambling in young offenders
Crim Behav Ment Health
Cited by (181)
Gambling Among Underage Alcohol Users Between 2008 and 2019: A National Cross-Sectional Study Among Finnish Adolescents
2023, Journal of Adolescent HealthThe role of online group norms and social identity in youth problem gambling
2021, Computers in Human BehaviorCitation Excerpt :Participating in gambling activities is popular among young individuals even though gambling is illegal for minors (those <18–21 years of age in the United States, <18 years of age in Finland, South Korea, and Spain) (Cantell et al., 2018; European Casino Association, 2017; National Research Council, 1999). New gambling technologies and Internet gambling have increased gambling opportunities and made different forms of gambling prevalent and accessible even for the youngest individuals (Blinn-Pike et al., 2010; Gainsbury et al., 2015). Research further indicates that different online communities are formed around gambling and the interactions and perceived normative activities within them may encourage youth gambling practices (Griffiths, 2003; Sirola et al., 2018, 2020).
Psychosocial Factors Associated With Past Month Gambling Among Adolescents: Results From the 2016–2020 PRIDE Survey
2024, Health Promotion PracticeRisk Behaviors among Migrant Adolescents in Italy
2023, ChildrenWanna Bet? Investigating the Factors Related to Adolescent and Young Adult Gambling
2023, European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education