People Drawn to Gambling Prone to Smoking, Drugs

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who have problems with gambling are also likely to struggle with drugs and alcohol, according to a new study.

Moreover, people overly drawn to gambling tend to have similar personality traits to people who have problems with drugs, smoking and alcohol, suggesting that gambling has "much in common" with other types of addictions, the authors write.

"This study suggests that the personality characteristics that predispose one to develop gambling problems also predispose one to develop dependence on alcohol, marijuana, or cigarettes," study author Dr. Wendy S. Slutske of the University of Missouri-Columbia told Reuters Health.

However, Slutske cautioned that this study simply shows that gambling shares some characteristics with other addictions, and does not offer insights into how addictive gambling is or whether it is as addictive as drugs.

In the Archives of General Psychiatry report, Slutske and her team followed 939 people born in the early 1970s, noting their personality traits at age 18, and their patterns with gambling, drugs and alcohol use at age 21.

Nearly 6 percent of participants were diagnosed as problem gamblers, defined as betting at least $50 in one month during the past year, and having at least three symptoms of a problem, including hiding the signs of gambling, borrowing money, or gambling with household money.

The researchers found that people who had problems with gambling by age 21 were quicker to experience negative emotions, such as anxiety and anger, feeling victimized, and aggressiveness.

Problem gamblers also showed proclivities towards risk-taking and impulsivity, and showed fewer signs of constraint, a trait associated with sticking to social norms and avoiding thrills.

Problem gamblers also appeared to share traits with people dealing with addictions to alcohol, marijuana and smoking, suggesting that these types of dependencies have much in common, the authors note.

Indeed, nearly two-thirds of the people diagnosed as problem gamblers had a substance use disorder.

Slutske noted that this study may shed some light on the relationship between problem gambling and crime, since certain personality traits may predispose people to both gambling and criminal activities.

SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, July 2005.