People’s expectations about the effects of alcohol might impact their gambling behaviour. The purpose of this study was to examine how people who gamble frequently expect alcohol use to affect their gambling. A total of 472 participants completed an online survey. Participants had to be U.S. residents, at least 18 years old, and gamble at least once per week. The findings show that most participants (79%) drank alcohol while gambling in the past month. Most participants believed that drinking while gambling allowed them to be more focused (59%), have greater skills (59%), and enjoy their gambling experience more (57%).
Participants’ expectancies regarding alcohol’s effects on gambling could be classified as positive or negative. Positive expectancies included beliefs that they would be more focused, win more, and have more luck while gambling under the influence of alcohol. Negative expectancies included beliefs that gambling under the influence of alcohol would cause loss of control and loss of alertness. Both types of expectancies were linked to greater alcohol use and gambling problems. Both types were also linked to more time spent drinking while gambling. But positive expectancies had a stronger influence on the percentage of time spent drinking alcohol while gambling.
