This document summarizes a study examining gambling behaviors among undergraduate students. The study used a multilevel analysis to examine how gambling contexts (such as location, activity, social group) influence the time and money spent on individual gambling occasions. Survey and interview data from university students in Montreal were analyzed. The results showed that both individual characteristics and contextual factors significantly influenced expenditures. Contextual risks differed for time spent versus money lost. For example, skills-based games with friends at home posed more risks for excessive time spent, while commercial casinos posed greater risks for losing larger sums of money. The study implications include targeting gambling environments and social contexts in prevention programs.

1. GAMBLING BEHAVIORS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS OF THE
GAMBLING CONTEXTS
Sylvia Kairouz, PhD
Research Chair on Gambling
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Concordia University
_________________________
International Gambling Conference 2016
Auckland, New Zealand
February 10-12, 2016

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 ENHJEU participants
 Eva Monson (co-author)
 Catherine Paradis (co-author)
 Philippe Laperle (research assistant)
 Fonds de recherche sur la société et la culture (FRQ-SC)

3. The context
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

4. OBJECTIVES
 Examine the role of gambling contexts in gambling
expenditures (time & money) among university students
 Determine whether contextual characteristics are at play over
and above the individual characteristics of gamblers
 How individuals negotiate meaning within the gambling settings

5. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
 Gambling problems are up to three times higher than in the
general adult population
 3,7% MR & PG in a Canadian-wide campus survey
(Kairouz, 2005) compared to 2,0% among adults (Cox et
al., 2005)
 Gambling as a leisure or glamourous activity
 Youth tendency for risk taking

6. STUDY BACKGROUND
 Little research has focused on heterogeneity of gambling
behaviors across gambling occasions
 What is unique to contexts needs to be measured independently
of the gamblers
 “ Experience of play varies according to a set of contextual coordinates
that relate to the spatial organization and the social integration of the site
where the activity is played.” (Reith, 1999)
 Goffman (1961) applied to gambling:
 Situated social gathering - form of game encounter
 Define and give meaning to the context in which players perceive
and manage expenditures

7. METHOD
ENHJEU survey
 Representative sample of 2,139 university students
 3 Montreal universities and 2 affiliated schools
 Response rate: 41%
 Quantitative and qualitative components

8. METHOD
QUANTITATIVE
 Respondents reported on up to three recent
gambling occasions (past 12 months)
 Final sample multilevel analysis - 757 gambling
occasions nested in 916 student gamblers

9. METHOD - MEASURES
Dependant variables
Time and money spent per occasion
Independent variables
 Individual variables (level 2)
 Gender
 Age

10. METHOD - MEASURES
Independent variables
Contextual variables (level 1)
 Gambling TYPOLOGY based on gambling type and
location
 diffuse-concentrated
 skill-chance
 Type of relationships (Friends, family, acquaintances,
other)
 Weekend or week day
 Group size
 Alcohol use (quantity)
 Drug use (yes/no)

11. METHOD
QUALITATIVE
 Semi-structured face-to-face interviews: Moderate-risk (7);
Problem gamblers (5)
 Topics: gambling habits, motivations, context, use of
substances, subjective experience, and risk factors

12. ANALYSES
 Multilevel regression models predicting time and
money spent per gambling occasion
 Estimation of the variance at individual level and
context level
 Individual and contextual predictors of gambling
expenditures per occasion
 Parameter estimation with IGLS

13. Does context matter?
Kairouz S., Paradis C., Monson E. (2015). Do context matter? A multilevel analysis of gambling settings
among undergraduates. Addiction Research and Theory, DOI: 10.3.109/16066359.2015.1059826

14. MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS
Time Money
IndividualsOccasions
Individual 1 Individual 2 Individual j
Occ 2 Occ 3Occ 1 Occ 2 Occ 3Occ 1 Occ 2 Occ 3Occ 1
58%
42%
56%
44%
22.28 minutes 7.07$

15. MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS
Time Money
IndividualsOccasions
Age (-)
Men (+)
Alcohol intake (+)
Drug use
Week-ends (+)
Friends/
acquaintances (+)
Large groups (+)
Games of skills in
diffuse locations (+)

16. MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS
Time Money
IndividualsOccasions
Age (-)
Men (+)
Alcohol intake (+)
Drug use
Week-ends (+)
Friends/
acquaintances (+)
Large groups (+)
Games of skills in
diffuse locations (+)
62%
62.7%

17. MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS
Time Money
IndividualsOccasions
Age (-)
Men (+)
Age
Men (+)
Alcohol intake (+)
Drug use
Week-ends (+)
Friends/
acquaintances (+)
Large groups (+)
Games of skills in
diffuse locations (+)
Alcohol intake
Drug use
Weekdays (+)
Friends/
acquaintances
Large groups (-)
Games (skills &
chance) in
concentrated
locations (+)

18. MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS
Time Money
IndividualsOccasions
Age (-)
Men (+)
Age
Men (+)
Alcohol intake (+)
Drug use
Week-ends (+)
Friends/
acquaintances (+)
Large groups (+)
Games of skills in
diffuse locations (+)
Alcohol intake
Drug use
Weekdays (+)
Friends/
acquaintances
Large groups (-)
Games (skills &
chance) in
concentrated
locations
62%
62.7%
35.5%
36.2%

19. CONCLUSION
 Robust influence of contextual characteristics to
explain time and money expenditures per occasion
 Risk factors differ for each form of expenditures
 Time: challenge of games of skills in diffuse places
 Money: challenge of concentrated places
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20. Negotiating meanings within
three gambling settings

21. IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE
 Clearly defined playing field
 Friendly competition, equal opponents
 Framed around the control of financial expenditures
 Measures of time almost dissipate

22. In-depth interviews analysis
GAMBLING ON POKER (Game of skills) IN PRIVATE
RESIDENCE (Diffuse)
“ WE PLAY LONG GAMES. WE INCREASE THE BLINDS
OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, SO GAMES CAN LAST
UNTIL FIVE OR SIX IN THE MORNING. … ONE OF MY
FRIENDS AND I, ESPECIALLY, ARE VERY STRATEGIC, SO
WE WON’T RISK PUTTING TOO MUCH MONEY. THE GAME
ALWAYS FINISHES FAIRLY (23 YEAR OLD MAN) ”

23. AT A CASINO
 Setting of greater uncertainty (the House’s rules)
 Delicate balance - containment of recognized risks
and dangers of losing
 Maintain the game pleasurable through good financial
management

24. In-depth interviews analysis
GAMBLING IN A CASINO SETTING (CONCENRATED)
“IF I SPEND AN EVENING AT THE CASINO, I TRY TO STICK
TO A SET BUDGET AND JUST MAKE THE TIME LAST. IF I
WIN, GOOD. IF I MANAGE TO LOSE IT ALL IN 15 MINUTES,
WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE, IT IS LESS
INTERESTING … I BORROWED MONEY TO PLAY, I DIDN’T
HAVE FUN, AND THEN I LEFT WITH A VERY NEGATIVE
OUTLOOK. (22 YEAR OLD MAN)”

25. CONCLUSION
Private
Casino
Online

26. Conclusions & Future directions

27. Conclusion
• Gambling context affect both time and money
expenditures: WHEN, WITH WHOM, WHERE, AT
WHAT
• Risk factors differ for time and money expenditures
• Time: challenge of games of skills in diffuse places
• Rules are set for spending not for time
• Money: challenge of concentrated places
• Tension between the price (risk of losing or
winning) and the prize (having fun)

28. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
 Risk factors differ for time and money expenditures
 Time: challenge of games of skills in diffuse places
 Rules are set for spending not for time
 Money: challenge of concentrated places
 Tension between price (risk of losing or winning)
and prize (having fun)

29. IMPLICATIONS FOR PREVENTION
 Provide tips and tricks for students for balancing
leisure gambling time and daily responsibilities
 Focus on breaking isolation and loss of control in
concentrated settings
 Integrate time as an important dimension of risk
and loss of control for games of skills in (private)
diffuse settings
 Target gambling environments as a level of
intervention

30. CONTEXT
PLAYING WITH …

31. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
MERCI POUR VOTRE ATTENTION

32. REFERENCES
Reith, G. (1999). The age of chance: Gambling in western
culture. London, New York: Routledge.
Goffman, E. (1961). Encounters: Two studies in the
sociology of interaction. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Kairouz, S. (2005). Chapter 6: Gambling. Canadian Campus
Survey 2004. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health.
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33. IMAGE SOURCES
In a private residence: http://blog.pokerjunkie.com/easy-
living/18-best-poker-accessories/
At a casino:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/thesimpsons/maggie.html
Online gambling: http://blog.drakecasino.eu/online-poker-vs-
online-blackjack-win-more-profits/
Playing with friends:
http://www.gentside.com/friends/wallpaper/page_3.html
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