Table 1.
Overview of adolescent gambling prevalence studies across the world
| Country | Study | Measure | Sample characteristics | Response rate | Gambling prevalence | Problem gambling prevalence | Legal age to gamble |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | |||||||
| Canada | Huang and Boyer (2007) | CPGI | National, 5666 youth aged 15- 24 years that completed a survey using computer assisting interviews | 77 % | 61.35 % (past year) | CPGI: Problem gambling (3+): 2.2 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years for Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and 19 years for other states |
| USA | Welte et al. (2008) | SOGS-RA and DIS | National, 2274 youth aged 14–21 years, who were surveyed by telephone | Not reported | 68 % (past year prevalence) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 2.1 % (past-year prevalence) DIS: Problem gambling (+3): 2.2 %, pathological (+4):0.4 %; Combined rate: 2.6 % (past-year prevalence) |
From 12 to 21 years depending on states and gambling activities |
| South America | |||||||
| Brazil | Spritzer et al. (2011) | DSM-IV-J | 661 with adolescents aged 14–17 years (these participants were a sub-sample of the general population), who were interviewed face-to-face | 66.4 and 81 % for the adolescent sub-sample | 6.9 % (no specific time frame is provided) | DSM-IV-J Problem gambling (+2): 1.6 % (lifetime prevalence) |
18 years |
| Asia | |||||||
| Hong Kong | Hsu et al. (2014) | DSM-IV-MR-J | 926 youth aged 12–20 years, who completed the survey in the class | 84.5 % | 46.5 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 0.9 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
| Oceania | |||||||
| Australia | Delfabbro and Thrupp (2003) | DSM-IV-J | South Australia, 505 youth aged 15–17, who completed the survey in the class | Not reported | 47.8 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-J: Problem gambling (4+): 3.5 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years for most of gambling activities and 16 years for lotteries in some states |
| Delfabbro et al. (2005) | DSM-IV-J and VGS | ACT region, 926 young people aged 11–19 years, who completed a survey in the class | Not reported | 70.4 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-J: Problem gambling (4+): 4.4 % (past-year prevalence) VGS: Problem gambling (21+): 3.3 % (no information regarding time frame is provided) |
||
| Lambos et al. (2007)a | DSM-IV-J | South Australia, 2669 young people aged 13–17 years, who completed the survey in the class | Not reported | 56.3 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-J: Problem gambling (4+): 2.4 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Delfabbro and King (2011) | DSM-IV-J | Darwin metropolitan area, 1107 aged 14–18 years, who completed the survey in the class | Not reported | 50.8 % (past-year prevalence for participants aged less than 18 years of age) | DSM-IV-J: Problem gambling (4+): 0.2 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| New Zealand | Rossen (2008)a | DSM-IV-MR-J | 2005 youth aged 11–21 years in the Upper North Island, who completed the survey in the class | Not reported | 65.4 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 3.8 % (past- year prevalence) |
18 years for most gambling activities and 20 years to enter a casino |
| Europe | |||||||
| Albania | Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD, 3189 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | 90 % | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problem gambling (sore of 2): 5.3 % (lifetime prevalence) |
18 years |
| Croatia | Dodig (2013) | CAGI | 1948 students aged 14–20 years from Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, and Split, who completed the survey in the class | Not reported | Not reported | CAGI: Problem gambling (6+): 12.3 % (past three months prevalence) |
18 years |
| Cyprus | Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD, 4243 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | Not reportedb | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problematic gambling (score 2): 4.4 % (lifetime prevalence) |
18 years |
| Denmark | Kristiansen and Jensen (2014) | SOGS-RA | National, 2223 adolescents aged 11–17 years, who completed the survey in the class | 91 % | 70.1 % (past-year) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling: 1.3 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years for casinos, slot machines and Internet, and 16 years for other kinds of gambling |
| Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD, 2181 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | 89 % | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problem gambling (score 2): 1.6 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Finland | Ilkas and Aho (2006) | SOGS-RA | 5000 adolescents aged 12–17 years | Not reportedc | 52 % (past-year) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (5+):1.3 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
| Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD, 3744 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | 90 % | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problem gambling (score 2): 4.8 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Germany | Hurrelmann et al. (2003) | DSM-IV-MR-J | Regional, 5009 adolescents aged 13–19 years from Federal State of North Rhine–Westphalia | d | 39.9 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling: 2.96 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
| Duven et al. (2011); Hayer (2014) | DSM-IV-MR-J | Regional, 3967 students aged 12–18 years from Rhineland-Palatinate | d | 41.2 % (past year) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling: 2.2 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Great Britain | Ashworth and Doyle (2000)a | DSM-IV-MR-J | 9529 adolescents aged 12–15 years from England and Wales, who completed the survey in the class | 40 % (school response rate) | 34 % (past seven days) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 5.4 % (past-year prevalence) |
16 years for lotteries and scratchcards and 18 years for other gambling activities |
| Griffiths and Wood (2007); Griffiths (2008) | DSM-IV-MR-J | National, 8017 adolescents aged 12–15 years, who completed the survey in the class | 26 % (school response rate) | 73 % (lifetime) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 3.5 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Forrest and McHale (2012) | DSM-IV-MR-J | National, 8958 aged 11–15 years, who completed the survey in the class | 22 % (school response rate) | 21 % (past seven days) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 1.9 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Ipsos MORI (2014)a | DSM-IV-MR-J | 2796 students aged 11–16 years from England and Wales, who completed the survey in the class | 20 % (school response rate) | 16 % (past seven days among people aged 11–15 years) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 0.8 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| United Kingdom | Molinaro et al. (2014) | DSM-IV-MR-J | National data from ESPAD, 1712 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | 81 % | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problem gambling (score 2): 2.2 % (lifetime prevalence) |
|
| Iceland | Olasson et al. (2006a) | SOGS-RA and DSM-IV-MR-J | Reykjavik and Akureyri region, 750 adolescents aged 16–18 years, who completed the survey in the class | Not reported | 79.1 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 2 % SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 2.7 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
| Olasson et al. (2006b) | SOGS-RA and DSM-IV-MR-J | Reykjavík region, 3511 adolescents aged 13–15 years, who completed the survey in the class | 84 % | 70 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+):1.9 % SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 2.8 % (past-year prevalence rates) |
||
| Olason et al. (2011) | DSM-IV-MR-J | Hafnarfjörður region, 1537 adolescents aged 13–18 years, who completed the survey in the class | 81.4 % | 56.6 % (past-year) | DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 2.2 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Italy | Bastiani et al. (2011) | CPGI-short form | National, 1241 youth aged 15–24 years derived from the ISPAD survey, who completed an anonymous postal survey | 35 % | 35.7 % (past-year) | CPGI: Problem gambling (3+): 2.3 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
| Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD, 4837 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | Not reportedb | Not reported | Lie/Bet; Probable problem gambling (score 2): 2.6 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Lithuania | Skokauskas and Satkeviciute (2007) | SOGS-RA and DSM-IV-MR-J | Kaunas city, 835 youth aged 10–18 years, who completed the survey in the class | 96 % | 82.7 % (lifetime) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling: 5.2 % (past-year prevalence) DSM-IV-MR-J: Problem gambling (4+): 4.2 % (past-year prevalence) |
21 years for casino operated games and 18 years for other gambling activities. There is no legal prohibition for lotteries |
| Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD, 2476 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | 89 % | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problem gambling (score 2): 4.2 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Norway | Johansson and Götestam (2003) | DSM-IV | National, 3237 adolescents aged 12–18 years, who completed a telephone and postal interview | 45.2 % | 24.9 % (past seven days) | DSM-IV: Problem gambling (+3): 3.46 %; pathological gambling (+5): 1.76 %; Combined rate: 5.2 % (lifetime prevalence) |
18 years |
| Molde et al. (2009) | DSM-IV subscale of Massachusetts Adolescent Gambling Screen (MAGS) | 1351 students aged 16–19 years from West Norway, who completed an online survey | 69.8 % | Not reported | DSM-IV: Problem gambling (3- 4.5): 1.9 % Pathological gambling (5+): 2.5 % Combined rate: 4.4 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Rossow and Molde (2006) | Lie/Bet and SOGS-RA | National, 20,703 students aged 13 to 19 years, who completed the survey in the class | 80.2 % | 74.4 % (past-year) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling: (3–4): 2.5 % (past -year prevalence) Lie/Bet: Problem gambling (2 items): 3.5 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Rossow et al. (2013) (study conducted before the ban of slot machines in the country) | SOGS-RA and Lie/Bet | National, 4912 adolescents aged 13–18 years, who completed the survey in the class | 85.7 % | 69.3 % (past-year) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 2.3 % (past-year prevalence) Lie/Bet: Problem gambling (2): 3 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Rossow et al. (2013) (study conducted after the ban of slot machines in the country) | SOGS-RA and Lie/Bet | National, 3855 adolescents aged 13–18 years, who completed the survey in the class | 77.7 % | 67 % (past-year) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 3.1 % (past-year prevalence) Lie/Bet: Problem gambling (2): 3.4 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Hanss et al. (2014) | PGSI | National, 2.059 adolescents aged 17 years, who completed a postal survey | 70.4 % | 26.1 % (past-month) | PGSI: Problem gambling (8+): 0.2 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Romania | Lupu et al. (2002) | GA-20 | Cluj, Salaj, and Bacau regions, 500 adolescents aged 14–19 years, who completed the survey in the class | e | 82 (lifetime) | GA-20: Problem gambling (7+): 6.8 % (lifetime prevalence) |
18 years |
| Lupu and Todirita (2013) | GA-20 | Cluj-Napoca and Harghita counties, 1032 adolescents aged 11–19 years, who completed the survey in the class | Not reported | Not reported | GA 20: Pathological gambling (7+): 3.48 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD, 2770 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | Not reportedb | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problem gambling (score 2): 4.9 % (lifetime prevalence) |
||
| Serbia | Molinaro et al. (2014) | Lie/Bet | National data from ESPAD survey, 6084 students aged 16 years, who completed the survey in the class | 86 % | Not reported | Lie/Bet: Probable problem gambling (score 2): 3.1 % (lifetime prevalence) |
18 years |
| Spain | Becoña et al. (2001) | SOGS-RA | Galicia region, 2790 youth aged 14–21 years, who completed a survey in the class | Not reported | Not reported | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 5.6 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
| Míguez and Becoña (2015) | SOGS-RA | Galicia region, 1447 youth aged 11–16 years, who completed a survey in the class | 92.4 % | Not reported | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 4.6 % (past-year prevalence) |
||
| Sweden | Fröberg et al. (2015) | PGSI | National, 2570 youth aged 16–24 years, who completed a telephone and postal survey | 72.5 % | Not reported | PGSI: Problem gambling (3–27): 4.2 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
| Switzerland | Surís et al. (2011) | SOGS-RA | Canton of Neuchatel, 1126 students aged 15–20 years who completed an online survey | 28.4 % | 37.5 % (past-year) | SOGS-RA: Problem gambling (4+): 1.3 % (past-year prevalence) |
18 years |
aNon-peer-reviewed papers
bThese studies were taken from the paper by Molinaro et al. (2014). This paper summarized probable problem gambling across nine European countries using data from ESPAD, and which did not indicate the response rates for each country. After analysing the ESPAD report in detail, it can be observed that student response rates were not available for Cyprus, Italy and Romania, and thus the response rates for these countries were not reported in the present review
cThis study is published only in Finish. The information reported is based on a English abstract and in the review of Kristiansen and Jensen (2011) conducted among the Nordic countries, and thus it was not possible to obtain more specific information about the methodology, such as the modality of survey used and response rates
dThese papers are only published in German and the information reported was based on Hayer (2014), and thus it was not possible to obtain more specific information concerning methodology, such as the modality of survey used and the response rates
eThis paper was not fully available in academic databases and the information reported is based on its abstract, which did not contain more specific information about methodology, such as response rates