Validation and Measurement of Attitudes Towards Gambling: The Case of the Basque Country.

Gambling is deeply rooted in Basque society due to its high participation. However, in recent times it has been the focus of public debates. This study aims to offer a first sociological approach to the phenomenon of gambling in the Basque Country and to explore social attitudes towards it. To this end, an attempt was made to apply the Attitudes Towards Gambling Studies, carried out in other contexts, although the results were not fully satisfactory. In response, the Synthetic Index of Attitudes towards Gambling (SIAG) was designed and applied in order to better capture the specificities of the Basque case. The SIAG has made it possible to detect a marked polarization in attitudes towards gambling. Based on the responses to different items related to regulation, danger, economic impact and (i)responsibility associated with gambling, three clearly differentiated profiles have been identified: people opposed to gambling, people who are ambivalent and people who are in favor of gambling. In summary, despite a generalized negative perception of gambling and pejorative attitudes derived from its consequences, these are not strong enough to discourage gambling or eliminate its recognition as a relevant economic agent.