<p>Men who gamble are more likely to act violently towards others, with the highly addicted gamblers most prone to serious violence, new research has found.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Researchers found that gambling in any capacity - pathological, problem, or so-called casual gambling - related to significantly increased risk of violence, including domestic abuse.<br /><br />Researchers from the University of Lincoln and Imperial College London in the UK <br />surveyed 3,025 men about whether they had ever engaged in violent behaviour, including if they had ever been in a physical fight, assaulted or deliberately hit anyone, if they had used a weapon, and whether the violence was perpetrated when they were drunk or on <br />drugs.<br /><br />The survey also asked if they had ever hit a child, suffered from mental illness, whether they took regular medication, or exhibited impulsive behaviour.<br /><br />The men surveyed - who came from a range of socio-economic backgrounds across the UK and varied in age - were also asked about whether they gambled.<br /><br />Eighty per cent of participants admitted to taking part in some sort of gambling activity during their lifetime. The researchers found a statistically significant link between gambling and violent behaviour, which became starker the more severe the gambling habit.<br /><br />Just over half of pathological gamblers, 45 per cent of problem gamblers, and 28 per cent of 'casual gamblers' reported some form of physical fight in the past five years.<br /><br />In contrast, among the non-gamblers, only 19 per cent reported being involved in violence.<br /><br />Additionally, gambling was associated with an increased likelihood of weapons being used in acts of violence, with more than a quarter in the pathological category, 18 per cent of problem gamblers, and seven per cent of non-problem gamblers reporting weapon usage.<br /><br />Just over 15 per cent of non-problem gamblers also admitted to having had a fight while intoxicated, which rose to more than a quarter in problem gamblers and almost a third in pathological gamblers.<br /><br />The study also found that pathological and problem gamblers are more likely to have hit a child, with almost 10 per cent of pathological gamblers and just over six per cent of problem gamblers admitting to such behaviour.<br /><br />Those with likely pathological gambling problems also had increased odds of committing violent behaviour against a partner. The results remained statistically significant even after adjusting the data to account for related characteristics such as mental illness or impulsive behaviour.<br /><br />However, it was not clear whether gambling and the propensity towards violence have a common cause, or whether one increases risk of the other.<br /><br />The research was published in the journal Addiction.</p>
<p>Men who gamble are more likely to act violently towards others, with the highly addicted gamblers most prone to serious violence, new research has found.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Researchers found that gambling in any capacity - pathological, problem, or so-called casual gambling - related to significantly increased risk of violence, including domestic abuse.<br /><br />Researchers from the University of Lincoln and Imperial College London in the UK <br />surveyed 3,025 men about whether they had ever engaged in violent behaviour, including if they had ever been in a physical fight, assaulted or deliberately hit anyone, if they had used a weapon, and whether the violence was perpetrated when they were drunk or on <br />drugs.<br /><br />The survey also asked if they had ever hit a child, suffered from mental illness, whether they took regular medication, or exhibited impulsive behaviour.<br /><br />The men surveyed - who came from a range of socio-economic backgrounds across the UK and varied in age - were also asked about whether they gambled.<br /><br />Eighty per cent of participants admitted to taking part in some sort of gambling activity during their lifetime. The researchers found a statistically significant link between gambling and violent behaviour, which became starker the more severe the gambling habit.<br /><br />Just over half of pathological gamblers, 45 per cent of problem gamblers, and 28 per cent of 'casual gamblers' reported some form of physical fight in the past five years.<br /><br />In contrast, among the non-gamblers, only 19 per cent reported being involved in violence.<br /><br />Additionally, gambling was associated with an increased likelihood of weapons being used in acts of violence, with more than a quarter in the pathological category, 18 per cent of problem gamblers, and seven per cent of non-problem gamblers reporting weapon usage.<br /><br />Just over 15 per cent of non-problem gamblers also admitted to having had a fight while intoxicated, which rose to more than a quarter in problem gamblers and almost a third in pathological gamblers.<br /><br />The study also found that pathological and problem gamblers are more likely to have hit a child, with almost 10 per cent of pathological gamblers and just over six per cent of problem gamblers admitting to such behaviour.<br /><br />Those with likely pathological gambling problems also had increased odds of committing violent behaviour against a partner. The results remained statistically significant even after adjusting the data to account for related characteristics such as mental illness or impulsive behaviour.<br /><br />However, it was not clear whether gambling and the propensity towards violence have a common cause, or whether one increases risk of the other.<br /><br />The research was published in the journal Addiction.</p>