Online Gambling in the Midst of COVID-19: A Nexus of Mental Health Concerns, Substance Use and Financial Stress - PubMed (original) (raw)

Online Gambling in the Midst of COVID-19: A Nexus of Mental Health Concerns, Substance Use and Financial Stress

Alex Price. Int J Ment Health Addict. 2022.

Abstract

This study examined the emerging impact of COVID-19 on gambling during the first 6 weeks of emergency measures in Ontario, Canada. A cross-sectional online survey of 2005 gamblers, including a sub-sample of 1081 online gamblers (age 18 years and older), was administered to assess risky gambling behaviours and motivations, financial impacts from COVID-19, the influence of COVID-19 on online gambling, mental health concerns and substance use. A series of odds ratio comparisons and measures of association were carried out. Results show significant likelihood of online gambling among those classified as high-risk gamblers (according to the Problem Gambling Severity Index) and those with past experience of online gambling, though migration from land-based gambling was apparent. Among high-risk online gamblers, the most predictive risk factors included moderate and severe anxiety and depression, reduced work hours, being influenced to gamble due to COVID-19, gambling under the influence of cannabis or alcohol and risky gambling motives tied to mental health concerns, including gambling because it helps with nervousness and depression, chasing gambling losses and seeking to earn income. This study has confirmed many of the risk associations presented in emerging COVID-19-related studies and past research on global economic crisis relating to gambling risk, mental health concerns and substance use. However, unlike many past studies, the present paper takes note of all of these elements holistically and provides incremental clarity on online gambling risk factors during the pandemic, specifically.

Keywords: COVID-19; Financial stress; Gambling motives; Mental health; Online gambling; Substance use.

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe author is employed by the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), a not-for-profit organization, as a Senior Researcher, which administered funding for this project. The author is also a member of the Ontario Gambling Research Society and has received funding from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to conduct follow-up research on this study as a co-investigator.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Ahmed Z, Ahmed O, Aibao Z, Hanbin S, Siyu L, Ahmad A. Epidemic of COVID-19 in China and associated psychological problems. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. 2020;51(April):1–8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102092. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ahorsu, D. K., Imani, V., Lin, C., Timpka, T., Broström, A., Updegraff, J. A., … Pakpour, A. H. (2020). Associations between fear of COVID-19, mental health, and preventive behaviours across pregnant women and husbands: an actor-partner interdependence modelling. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Addiction. doi 10.1007/s11469-020-00340-x. - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2011). Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9 & PHQ-2). Retrieved June 19, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/pi/about/publications/caregivers/practice-settings/a....
    1. Auer, M., Malischnig, D., & Griffiths, M. D. (2020). Gambling before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among European regular sports settors: an empirical study using behavioral tracking data. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. 10.1007/s11469-020-00327-8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Awaworyi Churchill S, Farrell L. The impact of gambling on depression: new evidence from England and Scotland. Economic Modelling. 2018;68(2017):475–483. doi: 10.1016/j.econmod.2017.08.021. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources