Gambling and Problem Gambling among Minnesota Public School Students in 2019

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Adolescent gambling is a growing public health concern.
• Understanding trends and risk factors is crucial for prevention and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine adolescent gambling participation and problem gambling rates in 2019.
• To compare 2019 rates with 2016 data to identify changes.
• To identify demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors associated with adolescent problem gambling.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Minnesota Student Survey for 8th, 9th, and 11th graders in 2016 and 2019.
• Analyzed gambling participation, frequent gambling, and problem gambling rates.
• Examined associations between demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral variables and problem gambling.

Main Results:

• In 2019, 29.6% of students participated in gambling, 6.5% gambled frequently, and 0.5% met criteria for problem gambling.
• Gambling participation and frequent gambling rates decreased from 2016 to 2019.
• Problem gambling rates remained stable at 0.5%, with boys exhibiting higher rates than girls.
• Tobacco use and antisocial behaviors were associated with problem gambling, explaining 16% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• While overall gambling participation declined, a small but significant segment of adolescents experiences excessive gambling and related problems.
• Gender disparities in gambling behavior persist among adolescents.
• Further research is needed to identify other contributing factors to adolescent problem gambling.