Are Gambling Motives all the Same? The Psychometric Properties of the GMQ-F Amongst Sports Bettors.

The Gambling Motives Questionnaire - Financial (GMQ-F) is the most widely used scale for assessing gambling motives. Although previous research supports the reliability and validity of GMQ-F scores, no study has examined its psychometric properties among sports bettors, which present distinct demographics and clinical characteristics. To this end, this study evaluated the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the GMQ-F among 920 sports bettors. We hypothesized that the GMQ-F would exhibit a four-factor structure and conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) to test model fit. Participants completed measures assessing their demographic characteristics, sports betting behaviours (frequency, time spent, bet type), and problem gambling. Results indicated that the ESEM model provided an excellent fit, outperforming the CFA model, with a clear four-factor structure (social, enhancement, coping, financial) that better captured the relationship between gambling motives while allowing for minimal cross-loadings. Measurement invariance testing revealed that the GMQ-F was consistent across different types of sports bettors (in-play, single-event, and traditional), gender (man vs. woman), and ethnicity (White vs. Racialized). Regression analyses showed that social, coping, and financial motives were positively associated with problem gambling severity, while enhancement motives were negatively related to problem gambling severity among sports bettors. These findings provide evidence supporting the validity and reliability of GMQ-F scores for assessing gambling motives, and suggest its utility across a range of demographic and sports betting subgroups.