online and offline pathological gambler: characterizing and comparing

INTRODUCTION:

Pathological Gambling has been included in DSM III (APA) as an

impulse control disorder since 1980, as in CID (WHO) although it is

increasingly considered like a behavioral (non-chemical) addiction. It

seems to be a dependency quite different from others in some aspects.

The interest for this study comes from the absence of information on

the area of problem gambling. There is no information on diagnosis,

prevention and treatment for Portuguese gambling culture. The

following questions should be answered: Are problem and

pathological online gamblers different from those offline (Griffiths,

2010) and is online gambling more attractive and dangerous than

offline gambling (Shaffer. 2009)?

OBJECTIVES:

The aim of this study was to evaluate and understand the

characteristics of the following groups: Offline gamblers and online

gamblers grouped into recreational; abusive and pathological. We

wanted to compare them and examine significant differences in socio-

demographics; gambling behavior; coping strategies and sense of

personal values. Understanding how these characteristics are different

or not, by type of game as poker; slots; sport, among others. This

study will also help prepare/adapt future, new prevention programs

and protocols in primary, secondary and tertiary online and offline

gambling. .

METHOD:

A site was built for hosting two questionnaires: one for online

gamblers and one for offline gamblers in Portugal .

Sample: Currently 1820 but only 1365 were analysed (to date) and

grouped in 2 main categories with 3 subtypes each, following SOGS

classification; 1) Online gamblers: a) pathological; b) abuser and c)

recreational; 2) Offline gambler: a) pathological; b) abuser and c)

recreational. Data were analyzed using SPSS. All these numbers may

change due to (a) more questionnaires being answered and (b) some

questionnaires will be eliminated due to repetition and uncompleted

filling.

Instruments: Socio-demographics; Gambling behavior history; South

Oaks Gambling Screen; Lesieur & Blume,(1992); Toulousana coping

scale reduced (UAL, 2009); New value’s scales, reduced version

(Nunes, Tap & Hipólito, 2009).

ABSTRACT:

Gambling is growing worldwide via new forms of (i) approach, (ii) offer,

(iii) availability and (iv) diversity. In most countries, abusive and

pathological gambling is following this growth. This includes (i) online

sports betting, (ii) poker tournaments and (iii) virtual casinos. This

study attempts to build the profile of the Portuguese online and offline

gambler in three categories: recreational; abusive and (in particular)

pathological. Online and offline gamblers are compared and

characterized to see which is more addictive (and why). Two different

questionnaires for online and offline gamblers were placed on a site to

collect information on several levels: socio-demographics; gambling

behaviors; motivations; co-morbidities; coping strategies; values and a

gambling screen (SOGS) to assess their degree of pathology. Our data

follows some international recent findings, showing that online and

offline pathological gamblers may not be so different than expected. In

this sample, more Offline Pathological Gamblers (OFPGs) were

represented than Online Pathological Gamblers (ONPGs). Online

abusive gamblers were more represented than offline abusive

gamblers. ONPGs seem to be similar to OFPGs in some areas: they

play more at same hours of the day; they feel gambling increases skills

decision taking and concentration; they report time goes very fast; they

particularly enjoy the feeling of euphoria and secondly escape; they

substitute activities like work and/or sex with gambling; they have

significant association with anxiety; depression and hyperactivity, and

OFPGs are different in the following areas: they have less stability in

relationships with father and mother, they have more suicidal ideation

and also play more online than ONPGs play offline.

RESULTS:

There was a higher representation of OFPGs in the offline group than

ONPGs in the online group. There was a greater association between

offline gamblers and dependency than with online gamblers. The result

is in opposite direction with abusive online gamblers which showed

higher percentages and were younger .

Online gamblers were a younger age in the abuse group (15,5% vs

8,1%) and there was less recreational gambling online among seniors

over 50 years (20,7% vs 32,8%). More women were recreational

gamblers.

Almost 30% of online abusers and pathological gamblers used mobile

phones to bet. OFPGs also gambled online more than ONPGs gambled

offline (slots) and had twice as much alcohol and cocaine abuse, and

three times more tobacco use. OFPGs had 50% mor suicidal thoughts

but equal numbers of attempts.

Sample Results by Groups: Online Gamb. Offline Gamb.

Recreational Gamblers 248 199

Abusive Gamblers 348 262

Pathological Gamblers 148 160

TOTALS (1365) 744 621

CONCLUSIONS:

All groups showed differences in age, gender, etc.

- Results showed online gambling addiction may be inferior or less

problematic as reported in some international data (Shaffer, 2009).

- Highest figures of young people among online abuse may be

representative of future pathological gamblers (use-abuse-

dependency).

- ONPGs and OFPGs had many similarities but also many differences

that need further explanation.

-10%

00%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Offline Online

Jogador recreativo Jogador abusivo Jogador patológico

Distribution of online and offline type of gamblers: was significantly

different, χ2 (2) = 6,864, p=0,032. There was a bigger proportion of

pathological gamblers offline thsn offline (25,5% vs 19,7%).

References:

- British Gambling survey, (Wardle et al, 2007)

- Griffiths, M. (2010). The Psychosocial impact of internet gambling in

Great Britain, et al. presentation London NHS conference in 2010.

-Shaffer, H. (2009). Computer, Internet and Gambling Addiction: A

critical Revue., Harvard Medical School.

Online and Offline Portuguese Pathological Gamblers:

Characterizing and Comparing CIP-Lisbon Autonomous University Hubert, P., Griffiths, M. & Sommer, M.

* Nottingham Trent University

Mail: Pedro.hubert@netcabo.pt