PREVALENCE AND WAY FORWARD OF GAMBLING ADDICTION AMONG SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

Abstract

Gambling addiction is an emerging public health concern in Africa, yet little is known about its prevalence and drivers among students with disabilities, a group often marginalized in behavioral addiction research. This study examined the prevalence, predictors, and lived experiences of gambling among special students at the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, Nigeria—the largest concentration of students with disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa. A mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 250 stratified respondents across disability categories using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Qualitative insights were drawn from focus group discussions and key informant interviews with counsellors, analyzed thematically. Findings revealed a high prevalence of gambling (57.2%), with significant gender disparities: 234 males versus 16 females reported gambling. Hearing-impaired students demonstrated the highest participation (70.4%). Regression analysis identified hearing impairment and low household income as significant predictors of problem gambling. Thematic analysis further revealed peer influence, economic hardship, technological accessibility, and coping with stigma as central drivers, while masculine norms and institutional neglect amplified vulnerability. Integration of results confirmed that gambling in this context is both a coping mechanism and a peer-bonding practice. The study extends theoretical models of gambling addiction by highlighting a hybrid pathway combining emotional vulnerability and sociocultural conditioning. It concludes that gambling among special students is a neglected but pressing challenge in Nigeria’s higher education sector and calls for disability-inclusive, peer-led interventions and regulatory reforms to mitigate harms.

Keywords: gambling addiction, special needs students, disability, mixed-methods research