Youths are vulnerable to developing disordered gambling. Studies looking at risk factors among youth have rarely examined socioeconomic risk factors. In a representative sample of 19,321 grade 10 students in Italy, the researchers found that family wealth and relative deprivation were associated with more problem gambling symptoms. In other words, having the financial means to gamble and feeling less well off than one’s classmates, could lead to more gambling symptoms. Males, older age, and being a first-generation immigrant were associated with greater gambling problems. Lower social support was also associated with greater gambling problems. Peer social support was a protective factor in reducing the harms of relative deprivation on symptoms of disordered gambling. These findings suggest the importance of developing public health efforts to protect vulnerable youths from disordered gambling.
