Gambling and alcohol use frequently co-occur, and individuals may drink alcohol while engaging in gambling activities simultaneously. Previous research has documented that alcohol consumption during gambling is associated with longer gambling play, increased impulsivity, betting on more pay lines, and heightened risk of gambling-related problems. Evidence from both laboratory and non-laboratory studies suggests that simultaneous engagement in gambling and alcohol use may be associated with greater psychological vulnerabilities and harms compared to either activity alone. Despite these findings, significant gaps remain in the literature regarding who is likely to engage in simultaneous gambling and alcohol use and the motivations underlying this behavior. To address these empirical gaps, the present study examines demographic and psychological correlates, problem gambling severity, mental health variables, and self-reported motives for engaging in simultaneous alcohol use and gambling among a sample of adults.
This study surveyed 472 participants aged 19 years and older who had gambled at least once in the past 12 months. The survey included demographics; gambling involvement (types, frequency, time and money spent, and preferred format), problem gambling severity (PGSI), and gambling motives (GMQ-F); alcohol use and related problems (AUDIT) and mental health symptoms (DASS-21); impulsivity (SUPPS-P Short Form); and simultaneous gambling and alcohol use (frequency, quantity, perceived effects, and motivations), including open-ended responses. Ordinal regression models were used to examine predictors of the frequency of alcohol use while gambling. Open-ended responses about motives for simultaneous use were coded using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches.
Most participants reported alcohol use, and patterns of simultaneous alcohol use while gambling varied across individuals. In univariate analyses, impulsivity subscales, DASS subscales (depression, anxiety, and stress), gambling motives (enhancement, coping, and social), problem gambling severity (PGSI), and alcohol use severity (AUDIT) were all significantly associated with the frequency of simultaneous gambling and alcohol use. However, in the final model including all predictors simultaneously, social gambling motives showed the strongest association with simultaneous use, and enhancement motives and AUDIT-measured alcohol use severity were also associated with increased odds of simultaneous use. In contrast, financial motives were associated with lower odds of simultaneous use. Among impulsivity subscales, only lack of premeditation remained a significant predictor, whereas DASS subscales and problem gambling severity were no longer significant after adjusting for other factors. Qualitative responses indicated that the most common reasons for simultaneous use included enhancing positive emotions (e.g., enjoyment or excitement), relaxation, facilitating social situations, boredom, and coping with negative affect.
Takeaway: Simultaneous gambling and alcohol use is closely associated with social and enhancement motives and with alcohol use severity, highlighting the need for more refined policy and harm minimization strategies that account for these motivation-based risk profiles.