Casino gambling in private school and adjudicated youngsters: A survey of practices and related variables

This study provides additional information about casino gambling practices in two adolescent samples. Specifically, 109 adolescents from a religious high school and 84 adolescents from a juvenile detention facility in Las Vegas, Nevada were surveyed. Of these, 71 (36.8%) were found to gamble regularly (58 males, 13 females, mean age 15.9 years). Results indicated many similarities among the two groups. The overall sample appeared to have a strong affinity for casino gambling, were diverse in their practices and reasons for gambling, reported a variety of emotional and physiological behaviors when gambling, occasionally experienced problems from casino gambling, and had parents who generally approved and were aware of their children's gambling behavior. The accessibility and family-oriented nature of many new casinos may be responsible for these effects.The authors thank Nicole Giangregorio and Ned C. Silver for their assistance. Portions of this paper were presented at the meeting of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Boulder, CO.