Inventaire des cognitions à risque — Loteries sportives (ICR-LS) : un premier pas dans l’élaboration de mesures spécifiques au type de jeu/The Inventaire des cognitions à risque Loteries Sportives: A First Step in Developing Game-Specific Measures

Abstract

A travers le monde, les paris sportifs representent la deuxieme forme de jeux de hasard et d’argent (JHA) la plus associee aux problemes de jeu. Les cognitions des parieurs sportifs pourraient contribuer a cette association. Cependant, aucun outil ne semble adapte aux parieurs de loteries sportives, principalement a cause de la composante d’habilete. Cette etude vise (a) a developper l’Inventaire des cognitions a risque — Loteries sportives (ICR-LS) et en determiner la structure factorielle, (b) a evaluer la validite de convergence de l’ICR-LS avec Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), les habitudes de jeu, et la gravite des problemes de jeu; et (c) a evaluer les liens entre le nombre d’heures mensuelles consacrees a la preparation des paris aux loteries sportives et les habitudes de jeu. Les parieurs sportifs recrutes ( N  = 272) etaient principalement de sexe masculin (86,5 %), dans la vingtaine ( M  = 26,7 ans) et issus de la communaute universitaire (88,3 %). Les analyses en composantes principales indiquent que l’instrument possede deux dimensions (Superstitions et Habiletes), une forte coherence interne (les coefficients alpha > ,85) et une bonne validite convergente. Des associations negligeables, mais statistiquement significatives, ressortent entre l’ICR-LS et le montant annuel depense aux loteries, les heures consacrees a la preparation des paris et la gravite des problemes de jeu. En outre, le temps consacre a la preparation des paris sportifs est moderement correle avec le montant depense, la frequence de jeu et la gravite des problemes de jeu, ce qui incite a y voir, peut-etre, un facteur de risque lie aux loteries sportives. Le temps consacre a la preparation des paris sportifs et ses effets sur les differentes spheres de vie meriteraient d’etre etudies davantage, notamment aupres de joueurs problematiques. Abstract Around the world, sports betting is the second type of gambling activity most associated with gambling problems. Thus, sports bettors’ cognitions play an essential role in this association. However, no instrument is specifically designed to assess sports bettors’ cognitions. This study aims (a) to develop the Inventaire des cognitions a risque — Loteries sportives (ICR-LS)  and to determine its factor structure, (b) to assess the convergent validity of the ICR-LS with the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), gambling habits, and the severity of gambling problems; and (c) to assess the links between the number of monthly hours spent preparing for sports lottery bets and gambling habits. Participants are sport lottery bettors ( N  = 272) that are mainly men (86.5%) in their twenties ( M  = 26.7 years old), and from a university community (88.3%). Principal component analysis results indicate that the instrument is composed of two factors (Superstitions and Abilities), and shows strong internal consistency (coefficients alpha > .85) and good convergent validity. The scale shows statistically significant but negligible associations with the annual amount spent on lotteries, hours spent on the preparation of bets, and gambling problem severity. In addition, time dedicated to bet preparation is moderately associated with the amount spent, gambling frequency, and gambling problem severity, suggesting that sports bettors bet preparation time could be a risk factor in sports betting. Studies should explore further the amount of time dedicated to bet preparation and its effects on different spheres of life, especially for problem gamblers.