Among problem gamblers, the highest level of participation in a gambling format was associated with a higher risk of developing a gambling problem. Participants were asked to report how much they spend on gambling each month, and these measures were summed to determine the participant’s annual gambling expenditures. In addition, the frequency of gambling was measured as a proxy for the time spent gambling. A participant’s participation in more than one form of gambling was also associated with a higher risk of developing a gambling problem.
Although survey data on participation in gambling over the past year are less common than data for lifetime participation, many studies have reported that a significant proportion of participants had engaged in gambling in the previous year. The percentages reported ranged from 56 percent in Mississippi to 65 percent in New York. Moreover, illegal gambling accounted for the highest proportion of lifetime participation, with only two studies examining this category. Thus, participation in gambling is a widespread problem in the United States, with roughly three quarters of adults reporting that they had engaged in some form of gambling in the past year.
Figure 4 shows the number of participants with a gambling problem. The number of formats involved was two and one. The correlation was 0.39. Among those who reported problem gambling, participation in multiple formats was positively associated with the likelihood of developing a gambling problem. Further, ROC analysis revealed a significant relationship between participation in multiple forms of gambling and the risk of developing a gambling problem. In fact, the number of formats involved in gambling explained 73% of the variance in gambling problem status, which is one of the key aspects of a gambling disorder.
Participation in gambling is a widespread problem across the spectrum of incomes. Low-income households reported the lowest rate of participation. Those earning between $100k and $150,000 reported the highest rates of gambling. In addition, individuals who have earned at least a high school diploma and some college education were most likely to participate in gambling in the past year. The highest levels of gambling participation were among those with a college education or some college experience.
Participation rates declined in every vertical but in-person gambling fell slightly from two percent to one percent. This is especially true for sports betting. The gambling commission also published further statistics on problem gambling. In December 2020, 0.4% of people with gambling problems reported participating in a single gambling format. This change was not statistically significant. This decrease in problem gambling was due to retail closures. If the Gambling Commission has any idea about the cause of the decline in gambling problem, further research would be needed to identify the causes of these trends.
The results of the survey showed that illegal gambling was widespread among Americans. The federal government, in response to the growing concern over illegal gambling, conducted a survey to measure attitudes and practices of Americans regarding gambling. While a scale to measure “compulsive gambling” was only a small part of the overall gambling survey, it was enough to make the study relevant to policymakers. It also showed that a larger portion of the population had a gambling problem than one in five Americans.