INVESTIGATING THE SOCIAL PERCEPTIONS ON THE STIGMA AND HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF ONLINE GAMBLING

Abstract

Stigmatization is a known barrier to treatment seeking among those with substance abuse. As gambling disorder is now considered a non-substance, substance abuse disorder, previous research in substance abuse can drive the development of research and evidence based recommendations for treatment and prevention of gambling disorder. In 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, allowing states to individually legalize sports betting. As of 2024, 38 of 50 states have legalized sports betting, drastically increasing the number of citizens exposed and able to place wagers. The Total Consumption Model and the Theory of Deviance suggests that the higher the exposure to gambling, the lower the estimation of the risks and the proportional rise in addiction to exposure. Gambling disorder is not an equitable addiction, with a disproportionate number of self-identifying Black men as well as Hispanic or Latino men suffering a disordered relationship and gambling, and women disproportionately spending more money per wager. An adapted Bogardus scale was deployed on Survey Monkey to understand the stigmatization of gambling activities and the impacts of acceptance and lifetime frequency on stigmatization. This study did not produce meaningful results. This sample will tolerate a disordered gambler as a close friend as the closest degree of social distance. Lifetime frequency and personal acceptance of gambling activities did not impact stigmatization. Age, education, income and sex were not factors in meaningful relationships