A Portrait of Gambling Behaviors and Associated Cognitive Beliefs Among Young Adolescents in Italy

Abstract Gambling disorder is a highly prevalent behavioral addiction in young adults. Accord- ingly, data on the prevalence of gambling as experience and problem gambling as at-risk behavior among adolescents are necessary, due to the increase in gambling behavior and its implications in recent years. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics (i.e., cognitive beliefs and knowledge of risk) of gambling among Italian adolescents. A cross-sectional survey analyzed gambling behavior, related cognitive beliefs, and knowl- edge of the gambling context in a large sample of Italian adolescents, differentiating gam- bling activities per se and problem gambling as a risk for addiction. Data from 4825 Italian 15-year-olds showed that the prevalence of regular gamblers (i.e., experiencing frequent gambling experience in the last 12 months) was 6.4%, and that of adolescents who played at least once in the last 12 months was 52%. The regular and at-risk gamblers who reported critical scores in the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale declared higher knowledge of gambling and worse cognitive beliefs than both non-gamblers and occasional gamblers. Prevalence data and descriptive outcomes of this study suggest the importance of further analyzing the gambling phenomenon among adolescents. The increasing intensity of gam- bling engagement and compulsive gambling highlights the clinical need to address youth addiction through structured primary and secondary prevention programs.