Comparative Analysis of Personality Traits in Online Gambling: Systematic Review

Year 2025, Volume: 17 Issue: 4, 633 - 642

Burak Kemal Ateş , Sedat Batmaz

Abstract

The global rise in internet usage has significantly altered how people spend their leisure time, including gambling—one of the oldest and most hazardous forms of entertainment. This transformation has given rise to online gambling, a modern counterpart to traditional land-based gambling. This study aimed to (a) review existing findings on personality traits associated with online gambling and (b) compare the personality profiles of online gamblers to those of land-based gamblers. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, utilizing databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ULAKBIM TR Index, Turkish Psychiatry Index, Asos Index, and SOBIAD Index. Of the studies screened, 12 met the inclusion criteria. Findings highlighted that online gamblers are predominantly male, with higher levels of education and income compared to land-based gamblers. Key personality traits associated with online gambling addiction include high levels of sensation seeking, novelty seeking, neuroticism, and impulsivity, alongside low levels of self-directedness, cooperativeness, and extraversion. While these traits are also linked to land-based gambling, online gamblers were found to score lower in extraversion and honesty-humility. Additionally, some studies noted that online gamblers tend to accumulate greater gambling debts and experience higher gambling-related harms. Clinical studies revealed that individuals who engaged in both types of gambling—online and land-based—were most closely associated with pathological gambling behaviors. These findings underscore the role of specific personality traits and the unique risks posed by online gambling in the development of gambling addiction.

Keywords

personality traits, online gambling, land-based gambling, systematic review

Çevrimiçi Kumarda Kişilik Özelliklerinin Karşılaştırmalı Analizi: Sistematik Derleme

Abstract

İnternet kullanımının çarpıcı bir şekilde artması, insanların boş zamanlarını değerlendirme biçimlerinde değişikliklere yol açmıştır. Bu artışla beraber, en eski riskli eğlence biçimlerinden biri olan kumar da değişime uğramıştır. Yeni bir kumar oynama biçimi olarak çevrimiçi kumar ortaya çıkmıştır. Söz konusu çalışmanın iki amacı bulunmaktadır: a) çevrimiçi kumarla ilgili kişilik özelliklerine dair bulguları sistematik olarak gözden geçirmek ve b) çevrimiçi kumar oyuncularının kişilik profilini fiziksel kumar oyuncularıyla karşılaştırmak. Sistematik İncelemeler ve Meta-Analizler İçin Tercih Edilen Raporlama Öğeleri (PRISMA) yönergelerine uygun olarak PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ULAKBİM TR Dizin, SOBIAD, Asos İndeks ve Türk Psikiyatri Dizini veri tabanları taranmıştır. Dahil edilme kriterlerini karşılayan 12 çalışma ile bazı kişilik özellikleri öne çıkmıştır. Çalışmalar, çevrimiçi kumar oynayanların çoğunlukla erkek olduklarını, fiziksel kumar oynayanlara kıyasla daha yüksek eğitim düzeyine ve daha yüksek gelire sahip olduklarını göstermiştir. Duyum arayışı, yenilik arayışı, nevrotiklik, dürtüsellik gibi kişilik özelliklerinde yüksek seviyeler ve düşük düzeyde kendini yönetme, iş birliği yapma ve dışa dönüklük kişilik özelliklerinin çevrimiçi kumar oynama davranışının gelişmesinde önemli bir rol oynadığı görülmüştür. Bu kişilik özellikleri halihazırda fiziksel kumarla ilişkilendirilmiş olmasına rağmen, çevrimiçi kumar oyuncularının dışa dönüklük ve dürüstlük-alçakgönüllülük kişilik özelliklerinde daha düşük seviyelerde olduğu belirlenmiştir. Diğer spesifik bulgular, çevrimiçi kumar oyuncularının daha yüksek kumar borçlarına sahip olduklarını ve genel olarak kumardan daha fazla zarara uğradıklarını göstermiştir. Son olarak, klinik çalışmalarda, kumar bağımlılığına en yakın grubun her iki tür kumara da başvuran karma grubun olduğu görülmüştür. Bu sonuçlar, bazı kişilik özelliklerinin ve çevrimiçi kumarın kumar bağımlılığı riskini artırdığını göstermektedir.

Keywords

kişilik özellikleri, çevrimiçi kumar, geleneksel kumar, sistematik derleme

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