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Full citation
Koivula, A., Oksanen, A., Sirola, A., Savolainen, I., Kaakinen, M., Zych, I., & Paek, H.-J. (2022). Life satisfaction and online-gambling communities: A cross-national study of gambling activities among young Finnish, American, South Korean and Spanish people. Journal of Gambling Studies, 38, 1195–1214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-021-10081-8
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Region & Target Population
- Regions compared:
- Finland
- United States
- South Korea
- Spain
- Target population: Adolescents and young people aged 15–25
Study Design
- Cross-sectional, cross-national survey study
- Web-based surveys administered separately in each country with harmonized instruments and back-translation procedures
Sample Characteristics (with data-collection years)
- Total sample: N = 4,816
- Country-specific samples:
- Finland: n = 1,200 (collected March–April 2017)
- United States: n = 1,212 (January 2018)
- South Korea: n = 1,192 (February 2018)
- Spain: n = 1,212 (January 2019)
- Mean age: 20–21 years across countries
Measures Used
- Life satisfaction: Single-item measure (1 = extremely dissatisfied to 10 = extremely satisfied)
- Problem gambling: South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS)
- Online-gambling community participation: Frequency of participation (never / seldom/ daily)
- Offline belonging: Composite measure of belonging to family, friends, and school/work (1–10 scale)
Research Questions / Hypotheses
- Is problem gambling associated with lower life satisfaction among young people?39
- Is participation in online-gambling communities associated with higher life satisfaction?
- Does online-gambling community participation moderate the relationship between problem gambling and life satisfaction?
- Does offline belonging further condition this relationship?
- Do these associations differ across countries?
Key Findings
- Problem gambling & life satisfaction:
- Problem gambling was negatively associated with life satisfaction in unadjusted models.
- This association became non-significant after controlling for psychological distress and offline belonging
- Online-gambling communities:
- Daily participation in online-gambling communities was positively associated with life satisfaction (B = 0.52, p < .001)
- Moderation effects:
- Online-gambling community participation buffered the negative effects of problem gambling, particularly among probable pathological gamblers.
- The buffering effect was strongest among those with poor offline relationships
- Cross-national differences:
- The negative association between problem gambling and life satisfaction was most pronounced in Finland.
- The compensatory role of online communities was also strongest in Finland compared to other countries
Study Conclusion
This study shows that problem gambling does not directly reduce life satisfaction among young people once broader psychosocial factors are considered. Instead, dissatisfaction operates through psychological distress and weak offline relationships. Importantly, participation in online-gambling communities was associated with higher life satisfaction, particularly among problem gamblers who lacked strong offline social ties.
The authors conclude that the relationship between problem gambling and life satisfaction among young people is not straightforward once broader psychosocial factors are accounted for. They emphasize that psychological distress and offline social relationships are central to understanding well-being, and that the negative association between gambling problems and life satisfaction weakens when these are considered. A key author conclusion is that participation in online gambling communities is meaningfully related to life satisfaction and can operate as a compensatory social space, particularly for those with weaker offline ties though they stress this does not imply such communities are protective overall. They highlight cross-national differences (especially the stronger patterns observed in Finland) and conclude that youth gambling-related well-being must be examined through a social and relational lens, not solely through gambling behavior metrics.
