# The Influence of Winning and Losing Gambling Experience on Mood State and Alcohol Cravings

## TL;DR

This study found that losing while gambling increases the urge to drink alcohol, even when mood is not affected.

## Contribution

The study reveals that losing gambling experiences uniquely increase alcohol cravings, independent of mood changes.

## Key findings

- Losing gambling experiences significantly increased alcohol cravings compared to neutral or movie conditions.
- The urge to drink was stronger after losing gambling, regardless of mood state.
- Exploratory results showed a desire for more drinks after losing gambling compared to neutral conditions.

## Abstract

Previous work has explored the bi-directional relation between alcohol consumption and gambling behavior within gambling contexts, highlighting the role of salient factors such as mood. The present experiment sought to further explore how mood state and the urge to consume alcohol vary as a function of the experience of winning or losing while gambling. In this experiment, 76 individuals who reported past year gambling and past month alcohol use were randomly assigned to one of four conditions – neutral gambling, winning gambling, losing gambling, or movie watching. Results indicated that mood state did not significantly differ by experimental condition. However, the urge to consume alcohol significantly differed by experimental condition when accounting for weekly alcohol consumption. Individuals who underwent a losing gambling experience reported significantly greater alcohol-related urges than those who watched a movie or had a neutral gambling experience, but not compared to those who had a winning gambling experience. Exploratory analyses showed that those exposed to a losing gambling experience wanted a significantly greater number of drinks than those who had a neutral gambling experience or watched a movie. These results suggest that experiencing losing may contribute to a greater desire to consume alcohol, and that this relation may occur independent of mood states associated with gambling outcomes. Future research should seek to investigate the relations between gambling, alcohol use, and mood in naturalistic gambling settings beyond the laboratory.