title: Perceived availability, risks, and benefits of gambling among college students.
abstract: The current study was an exploration of gambling-related perceptions and their relation to gambling behavior among young adult college students. Three hundred and two ethnically diverse undergraduates at a large urban public university completed a survey to assess their perceptions of the availability, risks, and benefits of gambling, and the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to assess gambling behavior and problems. Participants generally rated gambling as more available than alcohol or marijuana, and less risky than alcohol or cigarettes. The most common perceived benefits of gambling were social enhancement, financial gain, and positive changes in affect. Perceived benefits were a significant predictor of gambling problems. Perceived availability, perceived risk, and perceived benefits were found to be significant predictors of regular gambling. These results provide valuable information about the ways that college students perceive gambling and demonstrate that perceptions can be important predictors of gambling behavior.
authors.affiliation: The University of Memphis, 202 Psychology, Memphis, TN 38138-3230, USA.
authors.forename: Emerson M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wickwire
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McCausland
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leullen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data