Exploring groups of simulated gambling behaviour: a typological study among Danish adolescents

ABSTRACT

Using cluster analysis techniques, this study examined the differences and similarities in simulated gambling involvement in a sample of Danish adolescents. The data was collected through a survey of simulated gambling behaviour among a representative sample of Danish adolescents aged 12–16 (n = 755). A hierarchical cluster analysis resulted in three groups of young simulated gamblers: Occasional simulated gamblers (67.7%), involved simulated gamblers (15.7%), and potentially disordered simulated gamblers (16.6%). The occasional simulated gamblers group was characterized by a low level of simulated gambling involvement, occasional play with no monetary investment, and no signs of problematic gaming. The involved and potentially disordered simulated gambler groups showed higher degrees of involvement in simulated gambling, with the potentially disordered simulated gamblers showing a higher play frequency and a higher risk of problematic gaming and of monetary gambling problems. These indications of heterogeneity may serve as a starting point for further analyses of groups of young simulated gamblers, as the identified groups need further testing and refinement with representative data from other jurisdictions and the integration of supplementary variables. The main findings carry implications for policy and intervention, as the subgroups of simulated gamblers may assist in identifying those young people who are most at risk for developing gambling-related problems.

KEYWORDS:

• Simulated gambling
• adolescents
• cluster analysis
• explorative
• Denmark

Constraints on publishing

Authors declare no contractual constraints with regard to the submitted manuscript.

Competing interests

Authors declare no financial and non-financial competing interests related to the manuscript.

Notes

1. During the course of the study, 3 participants turned 17.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by a grant from the Spar Nord Foundation. The Spar Nord Foundation had no involvement in any aspects of the research including, but not limited to, the research questions, methodology, research conduct, or analysis of results.

Notes on contributors

Søren Kristiansen

Søren Kristiansen is professor at Department of Sociology & Social Work, Aalborg University Denmark. His research area includes the social determinants of gambling, adolescent gambling, gambling technologies, welfare studies and research ethics. He has published in the areas of youth gambling, social welfare, sociological theory and he has received funding from multiple sources including the Social Science Research Council of Denmark, The Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS), Spar Nord Foundation among others.

Majbritt Christine Severin

Majbritt Christine Severin is MSc candidate and research assistant at Department of Political Science, Aalborg University. She is currently involved in activities relating the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), her main focus areas includes UN Sustainable Development Goals, the social dimension of circular economy, and initiatives targeted at socially marginalized groups, survey methodology, survey experiments, and quantitative data analysis.