Beliefs About Gambling Problems and Recovery: Results from a General Population Telephone Survey

Respondents were asked their beliefs about gambling abuse as part of a general population telephone survey. The random digit
dialing survey consisted of 8,467 interviews of adults, 18 years and older, from Ontario, Canada (45% male; mean age = 46.2).
The predominant conception of gambling abuse was that of an addiction, similar to drug addiction. More than half of respondents
reported that treatment was necessary and almost three-quarters of respondents felt that problem gamblers would have to give
up gambling completely in order to overcome their gambling problem. Problem gamblers (past or current) were less likely than
non- or social gamblers to believe that treatment was needed, and current problem gamblers were least likely to believe that
abstinence was required, as compared to all other respondents. Strong agreement with conceptions of gambling abuse as disease
or addiction were positively associated with belief that treatment is needed, while strong agreement with conceptions of disease
or wrongdoing were positively associated with belief that abstinence is required.