Are problem gambling and problem gaming more common in elite athletes?

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Author(s): Håkansson, Anders ; Kenttä, Göran ; Åkesdotter, Cecilia

Journal: Addictive Behaviors Reports

Year Published: 2018

Date Added: January 23, 2019

This study explored problem gambling and video gaming in Swedish elite athletes. Participants were 352 individuals who had participated in national team in their sport and applied for a scholarship for university studies. The rate of problem gambling was 7% among the participants. This rate was somewhat higher than that in the general population in Sweden. Problem gambling was much more common in male athletes than in female athletes; 14% of male athletes had problem gambling compared to 1% of female athletes. The rate of problem gaming was 2% among the participants. This rate was similar to that in the general population. Elite athletes with gambling problems were more likely to have gaming problems compared to those without gambling problems.

Citation: Håkansson, A., Kenttä, G., & Åkesdotter, C. (2018). Problem gambling and gaming in elite athletes. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 8, 79-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2018.08.003

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2018.08.003

Keywords: advertising ; athletes ; at-risk ; competitiveness ; demographic characteristics ; gambling disorder ; Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) ; NORC Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Disorders (NODS)-Control, Lying, and Preoccupation (CLiP)(NODS-CLiP) ; pathological gambling ; sports ; video games

Topics: Gambling Exposure ; Information for Operators ; NODS Screen for Gambling Problems ; Online Gambling ; Sports Betting

Conceptual Framework Factors: Psychological - Personality and Temperament ; Psychological - Comorbid Disorders ; Exposure - Marketing and Messaging ; Psychological Factors ; Social - Social Demographics ; Exposure - Convergence of Gaming and Gambling ; Gambling Exposure ; Social Factors

Response Rate: 60.2%

Study Design: Observational: Cross-sectional

Geographic Coverage: Sweden

Study Population: National team-level athletes (N=352) who applied for a student scholarship for university studies.

Sampling Procedure: This study was part of a larger study addressing mental health in elite athletes. Recruitment e-mails were sent to individuals who applied for a student scholarship for university studies and had a history of elite sport and national team participation.