Summary:

In 2015, the first adult longitudinal cohort study of gambling and problem gambling was launched in Massachusetts. This report presents results from the first wave of the study with a focus on the establishment of the cohort and on the incidence of new cases of problem gambling since 2013/2014.

This report focuses on (1) establishment of the Massachusetts cohort, (2) changes in gambling participation within the cohort between 2013/2014 and 2015, (3) the “natural” incidence of problem gambling in Massachusetts (i.e., prior to the availability of casino gambling), and (4) transitions within the cohort between Wave 1 and Wave 2 of the study.

The cohort was established from a stratified sample of 3,139 respondents who completed the SEIGMA Baseline General Population Survey (BGPS), an address-based multi-mode probability sample survey conducted between September 2013 and May 2014 with adult (18+) Massachusetts residents. The main purpose of the stratified sample was to ensure that the cohort included the largest possible number of individuals who might be expected to change their gambling status over the course of the study, including Problem Gamblers, At-Risk Gamblers, and individuals who gambled regularly or spent substantial amounts on gambling. Wave 2 was conducted from March 2015 – September 2015 (an average of 16.5 months after Wave 1).  Specifically, the report examines; changes in gambling participation, incidence of problem gambling and gambling status transitions, stability and change.