This study examined whether alcohol use while gambling and engaging in heavy episodic drinking (HED) are linked to experience of gambling harm among adults living in Victoria, Australia. The researchers used data from the 2023 Victorian Population Gambling and Health Study. A total of 3,115 adults who completed additional questions about their alcohol use were included in the study. Among them, 1,918 had gambled in the past year (61%).
People who drank alcohol while gambling were more likely to experience any gambling harm and to experience a higher number of harms than those who did not drink while gambling. This link remained even after accounting for gambling frequency, gambling spending, and demographic characteristics. HED alone was not independently associated with gambling harms after these other factors were considered. But people who both drank while gambling and engaged in HED experienced the highest risk of gambling harms.
