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Full citation
Calado, F., Alexandre, J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2018). Gambling among adolescents and emerging adults: A cross-cultural study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 16, 839–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-9980-y
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Region & Target Population
- Regions compared: Portugal and England (United Kingdom)
- Target population: Adolescents and emerging adults, including individuals aged 18–25
- Setting: School- and education-based samples in both countries
Study Design
- Cross-sectional, cross-cultural survey study
- Parallel survey instruments administered in two national contexts to allow direct comparison of gambling behaviors and patterns
Sample Characteristics (with data-collection years)
- Population base: Adolescents and young people recruited through educational settings in Portugal and England
- Age coverage: Adolescents through emerging adults (explicit inclusion of 18–25-year-olds)
- Gender: Both males and females included
- Sample size: N=1137 adolescents and young adults (552 Portuguese and 585 English)
- Data collection years: Mid-2010s
Cross-National Structure & Comparison Logic
- Country 1: Portugal (More permissive gambling environment and higher visibility of sports betting)
- Country 2: England (Long-established national lottery system and widespread lottery participation)
- Analytic focus:
- Comparing gambling participation rates, types of gambling, and gender patterns across the two countries
- Examining how national context shapes gambling behavior during adolescence and emerging adulthood
Measures Used
- Gambling participation:
- Engagement in different gambling activities (e.g., sports betting, lotteries, other gambling forms)
- Frequency of gambling behavior
- Demographics: Age group, Gender
- Comparative variables: Country of residence as a proxy for cultural, regulatory, and market differences
Research Questions
- How does gambling participation differ between adolescents and emerging adults in Portugal and England?
- Are there cross-national differences in types of gambling favored by young people?
- Do gender differences in gambling participation persist across different cultural and regulatory contexts?
Key Findings
- Cross-national differences: Emerging adults in Portugal reported higher overall gambling participation than those in England.
- Gambling type preferences:
- Sports betting was more prevalent among young people in Portugal.
- Lotteries were more commonly reported by young people in England.
- Gender patterns:
- Young men gambled more than young women in both countries.
- This gender gap was consistent across national contexts, indicating a robust
- pattern rather than a country-specific effect.
- Cultural influence: Differences in gambling participation aligned with national gambling cultures and the relative prominence of specific gambling products.
Study Conclusion
The authors conclude that gambling among adolescents and emerging adults differs meaningfully across Portugal and England in ways that reflect national gambling cultures and product ecosystems. They emphasize that cross-national variation is visible even between relatively similar European settings, and that country context appears to shape which gambling forms are most prominent and how frequently young people engage. At the same time, they highlight that gender differences are stable across settings, with young men consistently reporting higher participation, suggesting a cross-cultural risk pattern that is not explained by one country alone.
Overall, they argue that youth gambling should be understood as context-dependent, and that prevention and policy responses need to be sensitive to each country’s gambling landscape rather than assuming a universal European pattern.
