A Study on Gambling and Problem Gambling Among Adolescents in Novaliches, Quezon City

Abstract

The researcher conducted a descriptive study on gambling and problem gambling among adolescents aged 15-21 years old in Novaliches, Quezon City. The objectives of the study were to find out the extent of gambling involvement of adolescents residing within the area and later on, determine the practices and behaviors of problem gamblers that may be present within the study population. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. A questionnaire was designed for adolescent gamblers. It was divided into three parts which were as follows: (I) Socio-demographic Profile, (II) Gambling Influences and Practices, and (III) Effects of Gambling, which made use of the NORC - DSM IV Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS). This part, which was divided into two time screens (lifetime and past year), classified whether the respondents were low-risk/social gamblers, at-risk/professional gamblers, problem gamblers, or pathological gamblers. A focus group discussion was also conducted with some of the respondents who were classified as problem gamblers to provide an in-depth understanding regarding their gambling practices and behaviors and find out what characteristics made them different from other gamblers. After gathering the necessary data, the researcher found out that while the majority of the adolescents gamble without any problems, a substantial number still appeared to be at-risk of developing gambling-related problems while some were already problem gamblers without even knowing it. A cost-effective approach to minimize such problems is to immediately implement preventive measures such as public education and more regulatory efforts of the different gambling agencies.