Examining the factor structure of the Victorian gambling screen in Chinese casino workers

Abstract

This study examined the factor structure of the 21-item Victorian Gambling Screen (VGS) and its 15-item Harm to Self (HS) Scale in order to address the need for a valid, reliable, and culturally-adaptive tool that would provide a harm-based assessment of problem gambling and identify pathological gambling among Chinese casino workers (N = 817) in Macau, where the economy relies heavily on gambling industry. Competing models of VGS, as well as competing models of HS Scale, were tested and compared using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and subsequent chi-square difference test. Moreover, the relationships of VGS and HS Scale factors with gambling behaviors (i.e., gambling frequency and amount spent in gambling) were investigated. Results revealed that: (1) the 3-factor model of VGS (enjoyment of gambling [EG], harm to self [HS], and harm to partner [HP]) and the 2-factor model of HS Scale (difficulty in impulse control and cognitive-emotional dissonance) best fit the data; (2) all factors of VGS and HS Scale, except for HP, were found to correlate with gambling behaviors; and (3) the association of EG with amount spent in gambling is stronger than its association with gambling frequency. The findings of the study support the validity and cross-cultural utility of the Victorian Gambling Screen in Asian, particularly Chinese, casino workers.