Problem Gambling and ADHD in Young Adults

We examine the relationship between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gambling behavior. We utilize survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a comprehensive survey of a representative sample of young adults in the US. We analyze survey data on the behavior of 6,145 respondents using linear probability modeling and a comprehensive set of control variables. Our results indicate that individuals who meet the criteria for ADHD diagnosis are significantly more likely to exhibit signs of problem gambling behavior, than young adults who do not meet the ADHD diagnosis criteria. More specifically, we find that individuals meeting the requirements for the hyperactive-impulsive subtype are at a much higher risk of problem gambling than either the general population or individuals who would be categorized as meeting the requirements for the inattentive subtype.