Both gambling and stimulant use are common and can lead to problems on college campuses with consequences that impact the financial, emotional, academic and physical well-being of students. Yet few studies have been conducted to understand the co-occurrence of these conditions and the increased risk factors if any that may exist for gambling and related problems. The present study is among the first to document the co-occurrence of these behaviors in both a random sample of students (N = 4640), and then to explore to what extent stimulant use impacts subsequent gambling and related problems 12 months later in an at-risk sample (N = 199). Results revealed a three-fold higher rate of recent problem gambling for those who used stimulants versus those who had not (11 vs. 4 %). For those already gambling, stimulant use predicted an increased frequency in gambling 12 months later. Implications for prevention and screening are discussed.
Keywords: College students; Comorbidity; Gambling; Stimulants.