GAMBLING BEHAVIORS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: A

MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS OF THE GAMBLING CONTEXTS

Sylvia Kairouz, PhD

Research Chair on GamblingDepartment of Sociology and Anthropology

Concordia University

_________________________International Gambling Conference 2016

Auckland, New ZealandFebruary 10-12, 2016

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ENHJEU participants Eva Monson (co-author) Catherine Paradis (co-author) Philippe Laperle (research assistant)

Fonds de recherche sur la société et la culture (FRQ-SC)

The context

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

OBJECTIVES

Examine the role of gambling contexts in gambling expenditures (time & money) among university students

Determine whether contextual characteristics are at play over and above the individual characteristics of gamblers

How individuals negotiate meaning within the gambling settings

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Gambling problems are up to three times higher than in the general adult population 3,7% MR & PG in a Canadian-wide campus

survey (Kairouz, 2005) compared to 2,0% among adults (Cox et al., 2005)

Gambling as a leisure or glamourous activity Youth tendency for risk taking

STUDY BACKGROUND Little research has focused on heterogeneity of

gambling behaviors across gambling occasions What is unique to contexts needs to be measured

independently of the gamblers “ Experience of play varies according to a set of

contextual coordinates that relate to the spatial organization and the social integration of the site where the activity is played.” (Reith, 1999)

Goffman (1961) applied to gambling: Situated social gathering - form of game encounter Define and give meaning to the context in which

players perceive and manage expenditures

METHOD

ENHJEU survey

Representative sample of 2,139 university students

3 Montreal universities and 2 affiliated schools

Response rate: 41% Quantitative and qualitative components

METHOD

QUANTITATIVE Respondents reported on up to three

recent gambling occasions (past 12 months)

Final sample multilevel analysis - 757 gambling occasions nested in 916 student gamblers

METHOD - MEASURES

Dependant variablesTime and money spent per occasion

Independent variables Individual variables (level 2)

Gender Age

METHOD - MEASURESIndependent variablesContextual variables (level 1)

Gambling TYPOLOGY based on gambling type and location diffuse-concentrated skill-chance

Type of relationships (Friends, family, acquaintances, other)

Weekend or week day Group size Alcohol use (quantity) Drug use (yes/no)

METHOD

QUALITATIVE

Semi-structured face-to-face interviews: Moderate-risk (7); Problem gamblers (5)

Topics: gambling habits, motivations, context, use of substances, subjective experience, and risk factors

ANALYSES

Multilevel regression models predicting time and money spent per gambling occasion Estimation of the variance at

individual level and context level Individual and contextual predictors

of gambling expenditures per occasion

Parameter estimation with IGLS

Does context matter?

Kairouz S., Paradis C., Monson E. (2015). Do context matter? A multilevel analysis of gambling settings among undergraduates. Addiction Research and Theory, DOI: 10.3.109/16066359.2015.1059826

MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

Time Money

Indi

vidu

als

Occ

asio

ns

Individual 1

Individual 2

Individual j

Occ 2

Occ 3

Occ 1

Occ 2

Occ 3

Occ 1

Occ 2

Occ 3

Occ 1

58%

42%

56%

44%

22.28 minutes 7.07$

MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

Time Money

Indi

vidu

als

Occ

asio

ns

Age (-)

Men (+)

Alcohol intake (+)

Drug use

Week-ends (+)

Friends/ acquaintances

(+)

Large groups (+)

Games of skills in diffuse

locations (+)

MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

Time Money

Indi

vidu

als

Occ

asio

ns

Age (-)

Men (+)

Alcohol intake (+)

Drug use

Week-ends (+)

Friends/ acquaintances

(+)

Large groups (+)

Games of skills in diffuse

locations (+)

62%

62.7%

MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

Time Money

Indi

vidu

als

Occ

asio

ns

Age (-)

Men (+)Age

Men (+)

Alcohol intake (+)

Drug use

Week-ends (+)

Friends/ acquaintances

(+)

Large groups (+)

Games of skills in diffuse

locations (+)

Alcohol intake

Drug use

Weekdays (+)

Friends/acquaintances

Large groups (-)

Games (skills & chance) in concentrated locations (+)

MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

Time Money

Indi

vidu

als

Occ

asio

ns

Age (-)

Men (+)

Age

Men (+)

Alcohol intake (+)

Drug use

Week-ends (+)

Friends/ acquaintances

(+)

Large groups (+)

Games of skills in diffuse

locations (+)

Alcohol intake

Drug use

Weekdays (+)

Friends/acquaintances

Large groups (-)

Games (skills & chance) in concentrated

locations

62%

62.7%

35.5%

36.2%

CONCLUSION

Robust influence of contextual characteristics to explain time and money expenditures per occasion

Risk factors differ for each form of expenditures Time: challenge of games of skills in

diffuse places Money: challenge of concentrated places

T

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Negotiating meanings within three gambling

settings

IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE

Clearly defined playing field Friendly competition, equal opponents Framed around the control of financial

expenditures Measures of time almost dissipate

In-depth interviews analysis

GAMBLING ON POKER (Game of skills) IN PRIVATE RESIDENCE (Diffuse)

“ WE PLAY LONG GAMES. WE INCREASE THE BLINDS OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, SO GAMES CAN LAST UNTIL FIVE OR SIX IN THE MORNING. … ONE OF MY FRIENDS AND I, ESPECIALLY, ARE VERY STRATEGIC, SO WE WON’T RISK PUTTING TOO MUCH MONEY. THE GAME ALWAYS FINISHES FAIRLY (23 YEAR OLD MAN) ”

AT A CASINO

Setting of greater uncertainty (the House’s rules)

Delicate balance - containment of recognized risks and dangers of losing

Maintain the game pleasurable through good financial management

In-depth interviews analysis

GAMBLING IN A CASINO SETTING (CONCENRATED)

“IF I SPEND AN EVENING AT THE CASINO, I TRY TO STICK TO A SET BUDGET AND JUST MAKE THE TIME LAST. IF I WIN, GOOD. IF I MANAGE TO LOSE IT ALL IN 15 MINUTES, WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE, IT IS LESS INTERESTING … I BORROWED MONEY TO PLAY, I DIDN’T HAVE FUN, AND THEN I LEFT WITH A VERY NEGATIVE OUTLOOK. (22 YEAR OLD MAN)”

CONCLUSIONPrivate

Casin

oOnline

Conclusions & Future directions

Conclusion• Gambling context affect both time and

money expenditures: WHEN, WITH WHOM, WHERE, AT WHAT

• Risk factors differ for time and money expenditures• Time: challenge of games of skills in

diffuse places• Rules are set for spending not for

time• Money: challenge of concentrated places

• Tension between the price (risk of losing or winning) and the prize (having fun)

T

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

Risk factors differ for time and money expenditures Time: challenge of games of skills in

diffuse places Rules are set for spending not for

time Money: challenge of concentrated

places Tension between price (risk of losing

or winning) and prize (having fun)

IMPLICATIONS FOR PREVENTION Provide tips and tricks for students for

balancing leisure gambling time and daily responsibilities

Focus on breaking isolation and loss of control in concentrated settings

Integrate time as an important dimension of risk and loss of control for games of skills in (private) diffuse settings

Target gambling environments as a level of intervention

CONTEXT

PLAYING WITH …

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTIONMERCI POUR VOTRE ATTENTION

REFERENCES

Reith, G. (1999). The age of chance: Gambling in western culture. London, New York: Routledge.

Goffman, E. (1961). Encounters: Two studies in the sociology of interaction. New York, NY: Macmillan.

Kairouz, S. (2005). Chapter 6: Gambling. Canadian Campus Survey 2004. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

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IMAGE SOURCESIn a private residence: http://blog.pokerjunkie.com/easy-living/18-best-poker-accessories/At a casino: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/thesimpsons/maggie.htmlOnline gambling: http://blog.drakecasino.eu/online-poker-vs-online-blackjack-win-more-profits/Playing with friends: http://www.gentside.com/friends/wallpaper/page_3.html

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