The Relationship Between Gambling Behavior and Binge Drinking, Hard Drug Use, and Paying for Sex

We examine the relationship between gambling behavior and other "vices": hard drag use, binge drinking, and paying for sex. We utilize survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a comprehensive survey of a representative sample of young adults in the US. We analyze survey data on the behavior of 6,145 respondents using linear probability modeling and a comprehensive set of control variables. Our results indicate that individuals who exhibit signs of problem gambling behavior are significantly more likely to use hard drugs, to binge drink, and to pay for sex. These findings, based on data collected on the general public, provide an interesting contribution to the gambling literature.