Prevalence of gambling behavior and risk for gambling disorder in Austria

BACKGROUND: After gambling disorder (GD) was included as the first behavioral addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), many studies focused on epidemiology and the impact of different risk factors. In this context, online gambling seems to show especially high addictive potential and, additionally, lacks government control and restrictions. METHODS: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of GD, as well as various aspects of gambling behavior in a representative Austrian sample (N = 3658). An adapted version of a standardized questionnaire was applied, which covered all nine DSM-5 criteria for GD. RESULTS: Results indicate a lifetime prevalence for gambling of 34.9%, with 4.5% of the whole population at high risk for GD. Males engaged in online gambling three times more often than female participants, and prevalence for online gambling was highest in the youngest cohort (16-29 years). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a general increase in gambling behavior, with clear indications for a higher vulnerability of younger participants as well as for males compared to females. Results are discussed in light of clinical relevance, and the need for further restrictions, especially for online gambling, is argued.