Contextual, behavioural and individual factors associated with problem gambling among Italian adolescents

Gambling is a very widespread activity in Italy. As terrestrial and online gambling opportunities expand rapidly, there are rising concerns over the growing accessibility to gambling in vulnerable populations. The present study examined gambling behaviours and the factors associated with problem gambling in a sample of 1,399 Italian adolescents (aged 14 to 20; 68.5% male) from the province of Varese. Participants completed a questionnaire that assessed environmental variables related to gambling, individual dimensions, gambling behaviour, and problem gambling. Statistical analyses included principal component factor analyses and sequential binary logistic regressions. The findings show that approximatively 25% of the participants had gambled in the past year, of which 66.4% were offline gamblers only, 1.4% were online gamblers only, and 32.2% engaged in a mix of both. According to the SOGS-RA, 12% of the past-year gamblers were problem gamblers (3% of the sample). Logistic regression analyses indicated the odds of being at-risk of problem gambling were significantly related to age, perceived access to offline gambling, using gambling as a way of feeling good, and offline gambling frequency. These findings suggest that gambling prevention programs combining structural, environmental and educational interventions should be implemented to target this population.