Motivational Concordance Between Alcohol Use and Gambling as a Moderator of Gambling Severity
Session Title
Poster session
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Start Date
27-5-2026 12:00 AM
Abstract
Alcohol use and gambling frequently co-occur, yet the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Prior research suggests overlapping motives for drinking and gambling. Less is known about whether individual-level alignment in these motives shapes problem severity across behaviors. The present study examined whether motivational concordance between alcohol use and gambling moderates the association between alcohol-related and gambling-related problems. Participants (N = 495) aged 21–40 reported past-month alcohol use and sports betting. Participants completed measures of alcohol-related problems (BYAACQ), gambling-related problems (PGSI), and motives for alcohol use and gambling. Motivational concordance was operationalized as the inverse of the summed distance between standardized alcohol and gambling motive scores across shared motivational domains. A moderation model was estimated using structural equation modeling in R (lavaan). Results indicated a significant interaction between alcohol-related problems and motivational concordance in predicting gambling-related problems (b = .094, p = .007). The association between alcohol-related and gambling-related problems was stronger among individuals with higher motivational concordance. These findings suggest that alignment in motivational profiles across alcohol use and gambling represents an important risk context for greater cross-behavioral problem severity.
Motivational Concordance Between Alcohol Use and Gambling as a Moderator of Gambling Severity
Alcohol use and gambling frequently co-occur, yet the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Prior research suggests overlapping motives for drinking and gambling. Less is known about whether individual-level alignment in these motives shapes problem severity across behaviors. The present study examined whether motivational concordance between alcohol use and gambling moderates the association between alcohol-related and gambling-related problems. Participants (N = 495) aged 21–40 reported past-month alcohol use and sports betting. Participants completed measures of alcohol-related problems (BYAACQ), gambling-related problems (PGSI), and motives for alcohol use and gambling. Motivational concordance was operationalized as the inverse of the summed distance between standardized alcohol and gambling motive scores across shared motivational domains. A moderation model was estimated using structural equation modeling in R (lavaan). Results indicated a significant interaction between alcohol-related problems and motivational concordance in predicting gambling-related problems (b = .094, p = .007). The association between alcohol-related and gambling-related problems was stronger among individuals with higher motivational concordance. These findings suggest that alignment in motivational profiles across alcohol use and gambling represents an important risk context for greater cross-behavioral problem severity.