Validation of the 8-item Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS-8) in a British population survey

• Public attitudes concerning gambling are an important factor in shaping public policy.
• There is little research assessing gambling attitudes within general populations.
• The ATGS-8 is a valid scale to assess gambling attitudes among the general population.
• The invariance of the ATGS-8 across gender was established.
• More positive attitudes towards gambling were positively related to gambling problems.

IntroductionPublic opinions concerning gambling are an important factor in shaping public policy. Little empirical attention has been given to assessing gambling attitudes within the general population. The aim of the present study is to validate the 8-item Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS-8) in British individuals and to investigate associations of these attitudes with frequency of gambling and gambling problems.MethodsData were derived from 7746 individuals participating in the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010, a comprehensive interview-based survey conducted in Great Britain between November 2009 and May 2010. Confirmatory factor analysis and separate regression analyses were applied.ResultsThe one-dimensional structure of the ATGS-8 was confirmed in the community sample and by gender. Furthermore, more positive attitudes towards gambling were positively related to frequency of gambling and gambling problems.ConclusionsThe present study extends the previous evaluations of the scale by providing detailed evidence for the utility and usefulness of the ATGS-8 in a community sample and across gender. The ATGS-8 is a valid instrument to assess public opinion on gambling among the general population.