ORIGINAL PAPER Personality, Perceived Luck and Gambling Attitudes as Predictors of Gambling Involvement Jamie Chiu • Lance Storm Published online: 27 November 2009 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract A quantitative observational study was undertaken to examine the relationship between individual factors and level of gambling involvement, in particular problem gambling (PG). The specific factors under study were personality, perceived luck, and attitudes towards gambling. A sample of university students (N = 185) completed a bat- tery of questionnaires, consisting of the 16PF, Canadian Problem Gambling Index, Belief in Good Luck Scale (BIGL), Gambling Attitudes Scale (GAS), and the Impulsive Non- Conformity subscale (ImpNon) from the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences. Four groups were formed (Non-PG, Low-Risk, Moderate-Risk, and PG). Personality profiles varied between groups, and there were significant main effects and interaction effects on gender and personality factors. The PG group was higher on impulsivity, and belief in luck, and had more positive attitudes towards gambling. Multiple Regression Analysis and Discriminant Functions Analysis, using variables including some 16PF factors, BIGL and GAS variables, produced models that were highly predictive of gambling severity and gambling membership. In both models, impulsivity was the stron- gest predictor. These results were discussed in terms of their implications for future research and treatment of PG. Keywords 16PF Á Belief in Good Luck Á Gambling Á Gambling Attitude Scales Á Impulsive Nonconformity Á Personality Introduction Over recent decades, gambling opportunities and venues have multiplied, making gam- bling an increasingly accessible, socially acceptable and popular activity (Desai et al. 2005; Griffiths 1989). During that time, there has been growing interest in the study of problem J. Chiu Á L. Storm (&) School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia e-mail: lance.storm@adelaide.edu.au J. Chiu e-mail: jamie.chiu@alumni.adelaide.edu.au 123 J Gambl Stud (2010) 26:205–227 DOI 10.1007/s10899-009-9160-x