The role of gambling type on gambling motives, cognitive distortions, and gambling severity in gamblers recruited online

Abstract

The recent literature shows that the type of gambling practiced influences problem gambling. This study was aimed at investigating the factors associated with gambling type, including gambling severity, gambling motives, and cognitive distortions. A total of 291 regular male gamblers (229 skill gamblers and 62 mixed gamblers, i.e., those who play at least one game of chance and one skill game) were recruited online and assessed for gambling severity (South Oaks Gambling Screen), gambling motives (Gambling Motives Questionnaire- Financial), cognitive distortions (Gambling-Related Cognition Scale), and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). After controlling for the number of games played and psychological distress, we found that gambling type was significantly associated with gambling severity. Moreover, controlling for psychological distress showed that gambling type was also significantly associated with coping motives and interpretative bias. First, mixed gamblers had higher severity scores and higher coping motivation than skill gamblers; second, skill gamblers seemed more at risk of developing interpretative bias. Thus, the gamblers presented different psychological, motivational, and cognitive profiles according to gambling type, indicating that different clinical interventions may be relevant. Working on coping motives and anxiety and depression symptoms with an abstinence purpose would be more suitable for mixed gamblers. Indeed, working on these points could lead to the gambler reducing or eventually ceasing gambling, as the need to regulate negative emotions through gambling behavior would fade in parallel. Gambling type, psychological distress, gambling motives, and cognitive distortions should be taken into consideration systematically in clinical interventions of patients with plural and mixed practice of games.