IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i24p12946-d697739.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Risk Factors for Increased Online Gambling during COVID-19 Lockdowns in New Zealand: A Longitudinal Study

Author

Listed:
  • Maria E. Bellringer

    (Gambling and Addictions Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand)

  • Nick Garrett

    (Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1142, New Zealand)

Abstract

Recent research investigating changes in gambling behaviors during periods of COVID-19 social restrictions, such as enforced lockdowns, are somewhat limited by methodology, being generally cross-sectional in nature and with participant samples recruited via online panels. The present study overcame these limitations via a secondary analysis of data collected in 2012 and 2015 from a New Zealand (NZ) longitudinal gambling study, with questions related to gambling behaviors due to COVID-19 lockdown periods included in an additional data collection, of participants who had previously scored as a risky gambler, during 2020/21. Almost one-quarter of online gamblers increased their gambling during lockdown with this most likely to be on overseas gambling sites, instant scratch card gambling and Lotto. The only sociodemographic risk factor for increased online gambling was higher education. Behavioral risk factors included being a current low risk/moderate risk/problem gambler, a previously hazardous alcohol drinker or past participation in free-to-play gambling-type games. These past behaviors could act as trigger points for health services or family and friends to monitor a person’s gambling behaviors during lockdown, or future stressful periods when usual terrestrial gambling opportunities are curtailed or unavailable, and to support safer gambling practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria E. Bellringer & Nick Garrett, 2021. "Risk Factors for Increased Online Gambling during COVID-19 Lockdowns in New Zealand: A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:12946-:d:697739
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/12946/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/12946/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Max W. Abbott & Rachel A. Volberg, 2006. "The Measurement of Adult Problem and Pathological Gambling," International Gambling Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(2), pages 175-200.
    2. Salmond, Clare & Crampton, Peter & King, Peter & Waldegrave, Charles, 2006. "NZiDep: A New Zealand index of socioeconomic deprivation for individuals," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(6), pages 1474-1485, March.
    3. Dylan Pickering & Alex Blaszczynski, 2021. "Paid online convenience samples in gambling studies: questionable data quality," International Gambling Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 516-536, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Verity Watson & Chris Dibben & Matt Cox & Iain Atherton & Matt Sutton & Mandy Ryan, 2019. "Testing the Expert Based Weights Used in the UK’s Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Against Three Preference-Based Methods," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(3), pages 1055-1074, August.
    2. Daniel J. Exeter & Olivia Healey & Jessie Colbert & Nichola Shackleton, 2023. "Developing SEP65: A Census-Derived Index of Socio-Economic Position Specifically for the Older Population in Aotearoa New Zealand," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 973-991, October.
    3. Michael G Baker & Jason Gurney & Jane Oliver & Nicole J Moreland & Deborah A Williamson & Nevil Pierse & Nigel Wilson & Tony R Merriman & Teuila Percival & Colleen Murray & Catherine Jackson & Richard, 2019. "Risk Factors for Acute Rheumatic Fever: Literature Review and Protocol for a Case-Control Study in New Zealand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-39, November.
    4. Thayer, Zaneta M. & Kuzawa, Christopher W., 2015. "Ethnic discrimination predicts poor self-rated health and cortisol in pregnancy: Insights from New Zealand," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 36-42.
    5. Mohammad Lutfur Rahman & Tessa Pocock & Antoni Moore & Sandra Mandic, 2020. "Active Transport to School and School Neighbourhood Built Environment across Urbanisation Settings in Otago, New Zealand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Silja Leiser & Anouk Déruaz-Luyet & A Alexandra N’Goran & Jérôme Pasquier & Sven Streit & Stefan Neuner-Jehle & Andreas Zeller & Dagmar M Haller & Lilli Herzig & Patrick Bodenmann, 2017. "Determinants associated with deprivation in multimorbid patients in primary care—A cross-sectional study in Switzerland," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(7), pages 1-12, July.
    7. Yul Davids & Amanda Gouws, 2013. "Monitoring Perceptions of the Causes of Poverty in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 1201-1220, February.
    8. Atte Oksanen & Anu Sirola & Iina Savolainen & Aki Koivula & Markus Kaakinen & Ilkka Vuorinen & Izabela Zych & Hye-Jin Paek, 2021. "Social Ecological Model of Problem Gambling: A Cross-National Survey Study of Young People in the United States, South Korea, Spain, and Finland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-19, March.
    9. Margaretha L. Situmorang & Kirsten J. Coppell & Melody Smith & Michael Keall & Sandra Mandic, 2022. "Adolescents’ School Travel and Unhealthy Snacking: Associations with School Transport Modes, Neighbourhood Deprivation, and Body Weight," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-15, June.
    10. Mary Breheny & Christine Stephens & Fiona Alpass & Brendan Stevenson & Kristie Carter & Polly Yeung, 2013. "Development and Validation of a Measure of Living Standards for Older People," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 1035-1048, December.
    11. Ó Ceallaigh, Diarmaid & Timmons, Shane & Robertson, Deirdre & Lunn, Pete, 2023. "Measures of problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS169, June.
    12. Fiona Imlach Gunasekara & Kristie Carter & Peter Crampton & Tony Blakely, 2013. "Income and individual deprivation as predictors of health over time," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(4), pages 501-511, August.
    13. Jatrana, Santosh & Crampton, Peter, 2021. "Do financial barriers to access to primary health care increase the risk of poor health? Longitudinal evidence from New Zealand," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    14. Pierre Polzin & Jose Borges & Antonio Coelho, 2017. "Applying an Extended Kernel Density 4-Step Floating Catchment Area Method to Identify Priority Districts to Promote New Publicly Financed Supply of Gastroenterology Exams," Journal of Management and Sustainability, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, March.
    15. Fu, Mengzhu & Exeter, Daniel J. & Anderson, Anneka, 2015. "The politics of relative deprivation: A transdisciplinary social justice perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 223-232.
    16. Terri-Lynn MacKay & David C. Hodgins, 2011. "Cognitive distortions as a problem gambling risk factor in Internet gambling," International Gambling Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 163-175, December.
    17. Hannah Briony Thorne & Matthew Justus Rockloff & Sally Anne Ferguson & Grace Elizabeth Vincent & Matthew Browne, 2021. "Gambling Problems Are Associated with Alcohol Misuse and Insomnia: Results from a Representative National Telephone Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-10, June.
    18. Melody Smith & Vlad Obolonkin & Lindsay Plank & Leon Iusitini & Euan Forsyth & Tom Stewart & Janis Paterson & El-Shadan Tautolo & Fa’asisila Savila & Elaine Rush, 2019. "The Importance of Pedestrian Network Connectivity for Adolescent Health: A Cross-sectional Examination of Associations between Neighbourhood Built Environments and Metabolic Health in the Pacific Isla," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-18, September.
    19. Soo-Bi Lee & Min-Ji Yu & Myeong-Sook Yoon, 2021. "A Longitudinal Change Patterns of Depression and Its Relationship with Socioeconomic Deprivation among Middle-Aged Adults in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-12, December.
    20. Custodio, Henry M. & Hadjikakou, Michalis & Bryan, Brett A., 2023. "A review of socioeconomic indicators of sustainability and wellbeing building on the social foundations framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:12946-:d:697739. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.