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The impact of gender on gambling attitudes and behavior

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Abstract

Researchers have often attributed the consistent relation of gender and gambling behavior to gender role socialization. If they are correct, gender should affect different sets of gambling attitudes in a manner consistent with at least three aspects of gender role socialization: a double standard of morality, a guardian of the hearth role for women, and a dualism of orientations. A survey measuring gambling attitudes and behavior was sent to a sample of residents in North Dakota after legalization of several games of chance (e.g., blackjack). Gender affects behavior but only some of the specified attitudes. These mixed results may reflect changes in gender role socialization and the increasing legalization of gambling.

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The funding for this research was provided by the Institute for Regional Studies at North Dakota State University.

We gratefully acknowledge the helpful comments of Dr. Joy Query on this manuscript and both the assistance of Chris A. Christianson in data collection, coding and analysis and the assistance of Jeannie Dettmann in data collection.

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Lindgren, H.E., Youngs, G.A., McDonald, T.D. et al. The impact of gender on gambling attitudes and behavior. J Gambling Stud 3, 155–167 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01367437

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