Session Title

Session 3-1-E: Gambling, Culture, and Society

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Location

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Start Date

25-5-2023 9:00 AM

End Date

25-5-2023 10:30 AM

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Abstract:

Nearly 40 U.S. states have legalized marijuana use in some form and there are current efforts at the Federal level to reclassify cannabis from its status as a Schedule I drug, the classification meant for the most dangerous substances, to a less restrictive substance. Reclassification would be a first step toward wider legalization, a move backed by most Americans. Because Oregon was an early adopter of legalized recreational cannabis use and has widespread access to more forms of legalized gambling than most states, Oregon could be considered a proving ground for studying the interaction between gambling behaviors and widespread cannabis use among the general U.S. population. This presentation will explore potential impacts legalized cannabis has on gambling behavior by describing findings from a probability-based panel survey of 1,040 participants, aged 18 years or over, and living in Oregon. The survey found that cannabis users, compared to non-users, were 176% more likely to have gambled in the past 12-months and cannabis users were 133% more likely to report gambling two or more times per week than non-users. Problem gambling risk, as measured by the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS), was reported by 13% of those who gambled without cannabis use, 21% among those reporting gambling and cannabis use, and among those that screened positive on the Cannabis Disorder Screening Test, 39% scored positive on the BBGS. Further, gamblers who used cannabis, compared to those who did not, were 78% more likely to increase online gambling ‘Fairly or Very Often’ during the COVID pandemic when many brick-and-mortar gambling venues were shut down. The implications of these findings and others will be discussed.

Implications Statement:

Oregon could be considered a proving ground for studying the interaction between gambling behaviors and widespread cannabis use. Findings from this study have important policy implications for states moving toward legalizing cannabis use and important population health implications for those states that newly legalized cannabis use.

Keywords

Problem gambling, disordered gambling, cannabis use, probability-based panel survey

Author Bios

Jeff Marotta has specialized in the field of problem gambling for 20+ years with over 100 publications and national presentations. Jeff has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno and is an Internationally Certified Gambling Counselor II. Utilizing his background in research and evaluation, clinical practice, service administration, and program and policy development, he now serves as President and Senior Consultant with Problem Gambling Solutions, Inc., and Pacific University Graduate Faculty.

Glenn Yamagata is an economist and data scientist. For the past 7 years he has worked on problem gambling and related issues and has served as a consultant with Problem Gambling Solutions. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Voices of Problem Gambling Recovery. Previously, he was a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. and Director of Analytics at The Gap. He holds masters' degrees in economics and statistics from Yale University.

Greta Coe has worked for the State of Oregon, Behavioral Health Services, for the past 14 years. As Oregon’s Problem Gambling Services Manager, she has focused on innovative solutions for expanding services while managing a comprehensive problem gambling prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery system. Prior to coming to state government, she was a community health educator focusing on tobacco prevention, breast cancer prevention and worksite wellness.

Funding Sources

The project with funded by the Oregon Health Authority

Competing Interests

None

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May 25th, 9:00 AM May 25th, 10:30 AM

Stoner Nation: The Impact of Cannabis Use on Gambling Behavior

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Abstract:

Nearly 40 U.S. states have legalized marijuana use in some form and there are current efforts at the Federal level to reclassify cannabis from its status as a Schedule I drug, the classification meant for the most dangerous substances, to a less restrictive substance. Reclassification would be a first step toward wider legalization, a move backed by most Americans. Because Oregon was an early adopter of legalized recreational cannabis use and has widespread access to more forms of legalized gambling than most states, Oregon could be considered a proving ground for studying the interaction between gambling behaviors and widespread cannabis use among the general U.S. population. This presentation will explore potential impacts legalized cannabis has on gambling behavior by describing findings from a probability-based panel survey of 1,040 participants, aged 18 years or over, and living in Oregon. The survey found that cannabis users, compared to non-users, were 176% more likely to have gambled in the past 12-months and cannabis users were 133% more likely to report gambling two or more times per week than non-users. Problem gambling risk, as measured by the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS), was reported by 13% of those who gambled without cannabis use, 21% among those reporting gambling and cannabis use, and among those that screened positive on the Cannabis Disorder Screening Test, 39% scored positive on the BBGS. Further, gamblers who used cannabis, compared to those who did not, were 78% more likely to increase online gambling ‘Fairly or Very Often’ during the COVID pandemic when many brick-and-mortar gambling venues were shut down. The implications of these findings and others will be discussed.

Implications Statement:

Oregon could be considered a proving ground for studying the interaction between gambling behaviors and widespread cannabis use. Findings from this study have important policy implications for states moving toward legalizing cannabis use and important population health implications for those states that newly legalized cannabis use.