MOTIVATIONAL DRIVERS OF YOUTH GAMBLING IN NIGERIA: A PERSONALITY-BASED STUDY IN AUTA BALEFI

A survey of the influence of personality traits on gambling motivation was conducted among youths in Auta Balefi of Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Data were collated from a sample of 250 youths in Auta Balefi of Karu LGA. Participants were drawn through the purposive sampling technique. The participants were 55.6% males and 44.4% females with ages from 20 to 50 years. The big-five personality inventory (BF 10 Version) and gambling motivation scale were used to elicit responses from the respondents. Data were analysed using regression and correlation analyses. Openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism has their independent degrees or strengths of relationship with gambling motivation among youths of Auta Balefi. It was also revealed that openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism jointly and positively predicted gambling motivation among youths of Auta Balefi. More so, personality traits contributed to 26.3 % variability in explaining gambling motivation. On the individual dimensions, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness all significantly predicted gambling motivation among youths in the area. Conversely, neuroticism did not predict gambling motivation among youths in the area. The results indicated that openness to experience; conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism jointly influence gambling motivation among youths in the study area. Based on the findings, the study recommended that parents, government, counselling psychologists, organizations, and even youths should be aware of the disastrous consequences, and programs should be put in place to get youths to adopt healthy attitudes toward gambling.