An international comparative study of stigma and attitudes towards problem gambling: The role of perceived accessibility and exposure in Australia, Croatia and Israel

Session Title

Session 3-2-A: Sociopsychological Factors and Problem Gambling

Presentation Type

Event

Location

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Start Date

30-5-2019 11:00 AM

End Date

30-5-2019 12:25 PM

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

International research generally shows that participation levels in gambling and people’s attitudes towards gambling are related to accessibility. Greater liberalisation of gambling is generally associated with greater involvement. However, the relationships between accessibility, involvement and attitudes can be more complex. High community-level participation rates can often co-occur with negative attitudes towards gambling in general, but studies of individual involvement tend to show more mixed results. What is generally unknown, however, is how liberalisation affects people’s attitudes towards problem gambling. Is the stigma associated with problem greater or reduced when gambling is more accessible and popular? Stigma is important because it is known to be a barrier in help-seeking in problem gambling. This presentation summarises the results from the first international study into differences in gambling attitudes in young adults. In this study, involving over 1800 young people (aged 18-25 years) surveyed in Australia, Croatia and Israel, we investigate how gambling accessibility and involvement appears to influence gambling attitudes and perceived stigma in countries with different regulatory regimes and levels of gambling accessibility. The findings provide insights into how variations in regulation and the supply and accessibility of gambling appears to influence how young people react to, and understand, gambling and problem gambling within their community.

Keywords

Gambling; stigma; attitudes; international; accessibility

Author Bios

Paul Delfabbro is a professor of psychology and lectures in learning and behaviour, cyber-psychology and advanced methodology and statistics at the University of Adelaide. He has published over 300 papers and reports in the areas gambling, child protection and adolescent psychology. He is a frequent advisor to government and is a Trustee for the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund. His specialist areas include the cognitive and behavioural factors associated with gambling and gaming and adolescent gambling.

Dr. Belle Gavriel-Fried is a senior lecturer in the School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University. Her quantitative and qualitative research over the years has focused on the unique characteristics of Israeli society as manifested in the gambling field.

Dora Dodig Hundric is an assistant professor at the Department of Behavioural Disorders (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences). She holds a doctoral degree in the field of gambling and has actively participated in the design and implementation of several research projects focused on youth problem gambling. She has, together with Neven Ricijas, created a new course – „Gambling and other Behavioural Addictions“. She is also the head of Faculty’s Psychosocial Counselling Unit.

Neven Ricijas is an associate professor at the Department of Behavioural Disorders (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences). He holds a doctoral degree in the field of juvenile delinquency and high-risk behaviour. Since 2010 he has been a leader of several gambling related projects with the main aim to transfer new scientific and empirical knowledge into creating preventive and treatment interventions for people who develop gambling related problems.

Funding Sources

None

Competing Interests

We have no competing interests to declare.

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May 30th, 11:00 AM May 30th, 12:25 PM

An international comparative study of stigma and attitudes towards problem gambling: The role of perceived accessibility and exposure in Australia, Croatia and Israel

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

International research generally shows that participation levels in gambling and people’s attitudes towards gambling are related to accessibility. Greater liberalisation of gambling is generally associated with greater involvement. However, the relationships between accessibility, involvement and attitudes can be more complex. High community-level participation rates can often co-occur with negative attitudes towards gambling in general, but studies of individual involvement tend to show more mixed results. What is generally unknown, however, is how liberalisation affects people’s attitudes towards problem gambling. Is the stigma associated with problem greater or reduced when gambling is more accessible and popular? Stigma is important because it is known to be a barrier in help-seeking in problem gambling. This presentation summarises the results from the first international study into differences in gambling attitudes in young adults. In this study, involving over 1800 young people (aged 18-25 years) surveyed in Australia, Croatia and Israel, we investigate how gambling accessibility and involvement appears to influence gambling attitudes and perceived stigma in countries with different regulatory regimes and levels of gambling accessibility. The findings provide insights into how variations in regulation and the supply and accessibility of gambling appears to influence how young people react to, and understand, gambling and problem gambling within their community.