Gambling Problems Are Associated with Alcohol Misuse and Insomnia: Results from a Representative National Telephone Survey

Gambling has significant costs to the community, with a health burden similar in scale to major depression. To reduce its impact, it is necessary to understand factors that may exacerbate harm from gambling. The gambling environment of late-night licensed venues and 24/7 online gambling has the potential to negatively impact sleep and increase alcohol consumption. This study explored gambling, alcohol, and sleep problems to understand whether there is a relationship between these three factors. Telephone interviews were conducted with a representative sample of Australian adults (n = 3760) combined across three waves of the National Social Survey. Participants completed screening measures for at-risk gambling, at-risk alcohol consumption, insomnia (2015 wave only), and sleep quality. There were small but significant positive correlations between problem gambling and alcohol misuse, problem gambling and insomnia, and problem gambling and poor sleep quality. A regression model showed that gambling problems and alcohol misuse were significant independent predictors of insomnia. A separate regression showed gambling problems (and not alcohol misuse) were a significant predictor of poor sleep quality, but only in one survey wave. Findings suggest that gambling, alcohol, and sleep problems are related within persons. Further research should examine the mechanisms through which this relationship exists.