The role of cultural worldviews in predicating gambling risk perception and behavior in a Chinese sample.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the relationships between cultural worldviews, gambling risk perception, and gambling behavior with a sample of tourists in Macao.

METHODS

Participants were enrolled at famous landmarks and casinos in Macao, China. Data were collected using several instruments to assess an individual's cultural worldviews, gambling risk perceptions, and gambling intentions.

RESULTS

We found that the three-dimensional solution was valid for the Chinese version of the gambling expectancy scale. Correlational and mediational analyses revealed that the relationship between an individualistic worldview and gambling intention was fully mediated by gambling risk perception. Respondents with an egalitarian worldview perceived greater risk associated with gambling than those with other worldviews.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrated the important influence of cultural variables on perceived risk and behavior in gambling. Moreover, understanding gamblers' worldviews could be beneficial for problem gambling interventions. Future research directions and the limitations of the findings were discussed.