Problematic gambling and alcohol misuse among adults in Japan

Problematic gambling has been linked to alcohol misuse. However, most of this research has been undertaken in Western countries. The current study examined this association in Japan, where comparatively little research has been conducted to date on problematic gambling and harmful drinking.

Data were analyzed from 3551 adults (aged 18-89) that were collected in an online survey in 2023. Problematic gambling was assessed using the Japanese short version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised (SOGS-R), while alcohol misuse was measured with the CAGE questionnaire. Additional information was obtained on sociodemographic and mental health variables.

In a fully adjusted logistic regression analysis, problematic gambling was associated with significantly higher odds of alcohol misuse in the total sample (OR: 4.50, 95 % CI: 3.46, 5.86). When the analysis was stratified by sex, problematic gambling was associated with alcohol misuse in both men and women. In an age-stratified analysis problematic gambling was linked to alcohol misuse across all age groups with the highest odds being observed in adults aged 18-34 (OR: 10.27, 95 % CI: 5.60, 18.83) and the lowest in those aged ≥ 60 (OR: 2.02, 95 % CI: 1.14, 3.55).

Problematic gambling is associated with alcohol misuse among Japanese adults, and there are no sex- or age-related differences in these associations. Efforts to inform the general public about the potentially detrimental effects of problematic gambling in relation to alcohol misuse may have important public health benefits.