Data from a randomly selected sample (n = 1,771) of undergraduates representing six purposively selected colleges and universities in the United States reveals that males gambled more than females on all forms of gambling with the exception of bingo. Although similar percentages of male (90%) and female (82%) undergraduates had gambled during their lifetimes, more than twice as many males (33%) as females (15%) gambled at least once a week. Males also had significantly more gambling problems than females: 25% of males and 8% of females experienced some gambling problems. Also, 9.3% of males and 2.4% of females were classified as pathological gamblers. The researchers note that the gender gap for pathological gambling is wider among those in their teens and early 20s than among adults; they suggest gambling problems among women surface at an older age than among males. Gender-related gambling differences will be better understood with further research.
Source: Adapted from Lesieur, H.R., Cross, J., Frank, M., Welch, M., White, C.M., Rubenstein, G., Moseley, K., & Mark, M. (1991). Gambling and pathological gambling among university students. Addictive Behaviors, 16, 517-527.
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