engleski

An international comparative study of stigma and attitudes towards problem gambling: The role of perceived accessibility and exposure in Australia, Croatia, Israel and Canada

International research generally shows that participation levels in gambling and people’s attitudes towards gambling are related to accessibility. Greater liberalization of gambling is generally associated with greater involvement. However, the relationships between accessibility, involvement and attitudes can be more complex. High community-level participation rates can often co-occur with negative attitudes towards gambling in general, but studies of individual involvement tend to show more mixed results. What is generally unknown, however, is how liberalisation affects people’s attitudes towards problem gambling. Is the stigma associated with problem greater or reduced when gambling is more accessible and popular? Stigma is important because it is known to be a barrier in help-seeking in problem gambling. This presentation summarises the results from the first international study into differences in gambling attitudes in young adults. In this study, involving over 1800 young people (aged 18-25 years) surveyed in Australia, Croatia and Israel, we investigate how gambling accessibility and involvement appears to influence gambling attitudes and perceived stigma in countries with different regulatory regimes and levels of gambling accessibility. The findings provide insights into how variations in regulation and the supply and accessibility of gambling appears to influence how young people react to, and understand, gambling and problem gambling within their community. This research has implications for public health and education campaigns involving young adults and international regulation. In particular, how does greater liberalisation and normalisation of gambling appear to influence the stigma associated with problem gambling? Stigma is known to be a major barrier to help-seeking in gamblers.

gambling, stigma, attitudes

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