Developing a Measure of the Double-Edged Health-Related Consequences of Lottery Participation (DEHC-LP) Among Chinese Lottery Participants and Examining Their Psychological Correlates: The Roles of Lottery Beliefs and Passion.

Lottery participation may be associated with both beneficial and detrimental consequences relevant to individuals' health, well-being, and daily functioning, reflecting a double-edged phenomenon. Understanding the psychological factors associated with these divergent consequences is important for promoting responsible lottery participation. This study developed the Double-Edged Health-Related Consequences of Lottery Participation scale (DEHC-LP) and examined how lottery beliefs and passion were associated with these consequences among legal lottery participants in mainland China. Two independent samples comprising 588 lottery players were used for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, followed by a third sample of 918 lottery players who completed measures of luck beliefs, strategy beliefs, lottery passion, and the DEHC-LP. Results supported a two-factor second-order structure comprising lottery-related benefits and harms, with satisfactory reliability and validity. Structural equation modeling indicated that luck beliefs were indirectly associated with lottery-related benefits through harmonious passion. Strategy beliefs showed a more complex pattern: they were indirectly associated with lottery-related benefits through harmonious passion and were associated with both lottery-related harms and benefits through obsessive passion. These findings suggest that lottery participation should not be evaluated solely from a risk perspective, as psychological factors such as lottery beliefs and passion may be associated with divergent health-related consequences. The DEHC-LP provides a multidimensional measure of participants' perceived lottery-related consequences across domains relevant to health, well-being, and daily functioning. The findings underscore the importance of considering individuals' beliefs and passion when developing responsible lottery participation initiatives aimed at enhancing potential benefits while reducing harms.