Adolescent gambling and problem gambling in Alberta : final report

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling among Alberta adolescents, in order to provide information to assist in the design of responsive programs for this special population. A total of 972 adolescent Albertans aged 12-17 were surveyed by telephone using the Alberta Adolescent Gambling Survey questionnaire (copy appended to the report), which incorporates a modified version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS-R). A second phase of the study involved in-depth field interviews with 56 adolescents (29 non-problem gamblers and 27 problem gamblers) selected from those surveyed by telephone. It was found that 67% of adolescents gamble, while 8% were identified as problem gamblers and 15% may be at risk for developing a gambling problem. In addition to prevalence, results describe characteristics of adolescent gamblers, behavior of adolescent gamblers, general health and substance use, and factors differentiating problem and non-problem adolescent gamblers. The report concludes with a discussion of current initiatives in regard to prevention, education, treatment and research programs, and recommendations for future action to meet the challenge of adolescent gambling. A summary report, highlighting the main findings, is available.