The co-occurrence of alcohol use and gambling activities in first-year college students.

OBJECTIVE

Both alcohol use and gambling are behaviors that can be problematic for many college students; however, it is not clear whether the relationship between the 2 exists for students who have recently entered college.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample included 908 first-year college students who were surveyed in fall 2005, approximately 1 month after entering college.

METHODS

Participants completed Web-based surveys on alcohol use and gambling behaviors.

RESULTS

Alcohol use and alcohol-related risks were significantly related to both gambling frequency and peak gambling loss.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings have implications for researchers and clinicians working in the area of addictive behaviors among college students, suggesting that those presenting with problems in 1 domain may also be at risk for problems in the other.