Table 1.
Gender differences in the prevalence of self-reported behavioural indicators in problem gamblers
| Indicators | Men n (%) |
Women n (%) |
Χ2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency, intensity, duration | |||
| Gambled every day of the week | 129 (74.1) | 109 (66.9) | 2.14 |
| Gamble for 3 + hours without a break of 15 min or longer | 154 (88.5) | 129 (78.7) | 6.01* |
| Gamble for 5 + hours without a break of 15 min or longer | 78 (66.1) | 66 (79.5) | 4.32* |
| Gambles intensely (does not react to external stimuli) | 144 (82.8) | 141 (86.0) | <1 |
| Plays very fast (inserting money/pushing buttons rapidly) | 157 (90.2) | 143 (88.3) | <1 |
| Bet $2.50 or more per spin most of the time | 109 (89.0) | 72 (87.8) | <1 |
| Plays on quickly after wins (not listening to music or jingle) | 147 (93.0) | 138 (92.6) | <1 |
| Rush from one machine to another | 147 (84.5) | 133 (82.1) | <1 |
| Gamble on 2 or more machines at once | 62 (59.0) | 35 (48.6) | 1.88 |
| Gamble continuously | 160 (92.5) | 145 (88.4) | 1.62 |
| Spend more than $300 in one session of gambling | 103 (87.3) | 71 (85.5) | <1 |
| Significantly change (increase) in expenditure pattern | 105 (58.3) | 75 (41.7) | <1 |
| Impaired control | |||
| Stop gambling only when the venue is closing | 134 (77.0) | 113 (68.9) | 2.82 |
| Gamble right through your usual lunch break or dinner time | 120 (69.0) | 105 (64.4) | <1 |
| Find it difficult to stop gambling at closing time | 127 (73.0) | 109 (66.5) | 1.71 |
| Try obsessively to win on a particular machine | 163 (93.7) | 155 (94.5) | <1 |
| Start gambling as the venue is opening | 100 (57.5) | 103 (62.8) | 1.00 |
| Social behaviours | |||
| Ask venue staff to not let people know they there | 47 (27.2) | 37 (22.6) | <1 |
| Have friends or relatives call or asking if you are still there | 82 (47.1) | 62 (37.8) | 3.00 |
| Act rudely or impolitely to venue staff | 66 (38.6) | 35 (22.2) | 10.44*** |
| Avoid contact, or communicate very little with anyone else | 138 (79.3) | 135 (82.3) | <1 |
| Stay on to gamble while your friends leave the venue | 132 (75.9) | 120 (73.4) | <1 |
| Become very angry if someone takes favourite machine/spot | 118 (67.8) | 112 (68.7) | <1 |
| Brag about winning or make a big show of gambling skill | 84 (71.2) | 40 (48.2) | 10.90*** |
| Stand over other players while waiting for favourite machine | 63 (53.4) | 30 (36.1) | 5.83* |
| Raising funds/chasing behaviour | |||
| Get cash out (ATM/EFTPOS) on 2 + occasions in single session | 158 (91.3) | 149 (90.9) | <1 |
| Ask to change large notes at venues before gambling | 144 (82.8) | 131 (79.9) | <1 |
| Borrow money from other people at venues | 88 (50.6) | 71 (43.3) | <1 |
| Ask for a loan or credit from venues | 40 (23.0) | 33 (20.1) | <1 |
| Put large win amounts back into the machine, continue playing | 162 (93.1) | 155 (95.1) | <1 |
| Leave the venue to find money to continue gambling | 143 (82.2) | 135 (82.3) | <1 |
| Rummage around in your purse or wallet for additional money | 104 (88.1) | 74 (89.2) | <1 |
| Run out of all money including in purse/wallet when leave | 111 (94.1) | 81 (97.6) | <1 |
| Use the coin machine at least 4 times in a session | 96 (56.1) | 75 (43.9) | 3.01 |
| Emotional responses | |||
| Find yourself shaking (while gambling) | 110 (63.6) | 96 (58.6) | <1 |
| Sweat a lot (while gambling) | 119 (68.4) | 83 (50.6) | 11.1*** |
| Feel nervous/edgy (e.g., leg switching, bites lip continuously) | 142 (81.6) | 133 (82.1) | <1 |
| Display your anger (e.g., swearing to yourself, grunts) | 138 (75.3) | 83 (51.2) | 21.0*** |
| Kick or violently strike machines with fists | 78 (44.8) | 38 (23.3) | 17.26*** |
| Feel very sad or depressed (after gambling) | 159 (91.9) | 159 (97.5) | 5.26* |
| Cry after losing a lot of money | 88 (50.6) | 115 (70.1) | 13.45** |
| Sit with your head in hands after losing | 113 (65.7) | 97 (59.1) | 1.54 |
| Play the machine very roughly and aggressively | 77 (65.3) | 31 (37.1) | 15.26** |
| Groan repeatedly while gambling | 85 (72.0) | 41 (49.4) | 10.67*** |
| Feel a significant change in your mood during sessions | 110 (93.2) | 75 (90.4) | <1 |
| Other behaviours | |||
| Gamble after having drunk a lot of alcohol | 124 (71.3) | 78 (47.6) | 19.73*** |
| Avoid the cashier and only use cash facilities | 86 (72.9) | 57 (69.5) | <1 |
| Notice decline in grooming/appearance | 65 (55.1) | 48 (57.8) | <1 |
| Blame venues or machines for losing | 132 (75.9) | 107 (65.6) | 4.26* |
| Complain to staff about losing | 74 (42.5) | 57 (34.8) | 2.15 |
| Swear at machines or venue staff because you are losing | 98 (56.3) | 54 (32.9) | 18.67*** |
| Compulsively rub the machine | 60 (50.8) | 38 (45.8) | <1 |
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001