Attitudes Towards Gambling and Gambling Reform in Australia.

ABSTRACT

The Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS) is a 14-item survey instrument examining general attitudes towards gambling (Orford et al. in Int Gambl Stud 9(1)39-54, 2009). The current study examined the validity of this scale in an Australian community sample of 1794 adults (52.8 % female). As well as considering measures of internal consistency and factor loadings, we examined the functional utility of the scale as a mediator of gambling activity, problem gambling status, and consequent opinions on national gambling-reform legislation. We found internal consistency and factor loadings of the ATGS within the Australian sample to be comparable with those observed in the original UK study. Additionally, ATGS scores were found to be a relatively robust predictor of attitudes towards gambling reform and harm minimisation. Further, the ATGS mediated the relationships between experiences with gambling and attitudes towards harm reduction. The findings suggest that the ATGS is a useful tool for examining general attitudes towards gambling within an Australian context.