Factors Precipitating Calls to a Help Hotline: A Comparison of Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics

Studies have found that the main reasons provided by problem gamblers for calling a gambling help hotline are financial, legal, or relationship problems, but no study has looked into whether these motivators vary by ethnicity. In particular, this study sought to find if Hispanics were more likely to call due to relationship problems. Using data gathered by the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling from problem gamblers calling for help (N = 826), it was found that the most common reason for calling the hotline by all ethnic groups was financial. However, among problem gamblers calling for non-financial reasons Hispanics significantly reported calling for relationship problems and Whites due to legal problems. Blacks did not significantly call for non-financial reasons. Possible implications of these findings for education and reaching out to different ethnic groups regarding problem gambling are discussed.