As millions of Americans prepare to track their college basketball pools throughout March Madness, new poll data from APA reports that more than one-quarter of American adults report a daily habit of online gambling.
The poll shows that among U.S. adults, 28% have a daily habit of gambling online, with men being more likely than women to gamble online for at least a few minutes a day (36% compared with 20%, respectively). More than half of adults (58%) who gamble online daily said that they have intentionally taken a break or limited the amount of time they spend gambling, with men more likely to report doing so than women.
However, 9% of adults reported gambling online for more than four hours daily, with 2% of individuals indicating they regularly gamble for more than 10 hours a day.
Maladaptive gambling behavior is diagnosed as gambling disorder when it is persistent and recurrent and disrupts personal, family, and/or vocational pursuits. While previously categorized as an impulse control disorder, gambling disorder is now recognized in the DSM as a behavioral addiction.
Gambling disorder is marked by behaviors such as preoccupation with gambling, increasing amounts gambled, unsuccessful control attempts, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, and “chasing losses.” As noted in a Psychiatric News Special Report, however, most people with this disorder do not show any clear physiological signs of intoxication or withdrawal that may suggest a problem.
One-third (35%) of respondents who said they gamble online daily said they began doing so between the ages of 18 and 25, suggesting that late adolescence and early adulthood is a crucial period for shaping attitudes toward online gambling. For each age ascending range following 18-25, respondents were less likely to report having begun gambling during that time.
For related information, see the Psychiatric News “Viewpoints” article “The Real Madness of March: Why Every Psychiatrist Should Be Screening for Gambling Disorder.”
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