Excitement-seeking gambling in a nationally representative sample of recreational gamblers.
Excitement-seeking and related constructs have been associated with heavier gambling and negative health measures in problem and/or pathological gamblers. Most adults gamble recreationally and an understanding of the relationship between excitement-seeking as a motivation for gambling amongst subsyndromal gamblers has significant public health implications. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine a national sample of past-year recreational gamblers (N = 1,476) to identify characteristics distinguishing gamblers acknowledging gambling for excitement ("Excitement-seeking Gamblers" or EGs) and gamblers denying gambling for excitement ("Non-excitement-seeking Gamblers" or NEGs). EGs were more likely than NEGs to report alcohol use and abuse/dependence, any substance abuse/dependence, incarceration, large gambling wins and losses, more frequent and varied gambling, and symptoms of pathological gambling (i.e., at-risk gambling). Together, these findings indicate that EGs are more likely than NEGs to demonstrate problems in multiple areas characterized by impaired impulse control.
Pantalon
Michael V
MV
Department of Psychiatry/Division of Substance Abuse, Yale University, 34 Park Street, Room S-104, New Haven, CN 06519, USA.
Maciejewski
Paul K
PK
Desai
Rani A
RA
Potenza
Marc N
MN
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012201:Reward; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology