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Relieving The Gambling Itch Through Alcohol Consumption: The Impact Of Covid-19 Restrictions On Australian Casino Patrons, Tenghao Zhang, Pi-Shen Seet, Janice Redmond, Jalleh Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper extends our understanding of how casino patrons are affected by COVID-19 restrictions and how they cope by substituting gambling with alcohol consumption. We conducted two studies using a nationwide survey sample collected in Australia during the pandemic lockdown. Study 1 compares the casino patrons with two reference groups (other gambling patrons and non-gambling individuals) and investigates the lockdown restrictions on respondents’ relational strength, and their potential impact on mental health and future prospects. Study 2 applies the stress-response dampening model (SRD) and tests how respondents used alcohol consumption to cope with the lack of access to casinos during …