Virginia SEOW: Gaming and Gambling Impacts on Virginia Youth and Young Adults
Project Objectives
- Translate statewide survey data into actionable intelligence by analyzing responses from over 5,000 Virginia young adults to produce a clear picture of gaming and gambling prevalence, behaviors, and impacts across the Commonwealth
- Illuminate health equity dimensions of gaming and gambling by examining how risk, frequency, and negative outcomes differ meaningfully across gender and racial groups, including BIPOC and non-binary young adults
- Connect gaming and gambling behaviors to broader public health concerns by documenting co-occurrence with substance use, mental health disorders, adverse childhood experiences, and suicidality
- Equip Virginia prevention stakeholders with accessible, evidence-based resources by synthesizing survey findings alongside national research and translating them into plain-language content usable by community organizations, policymakers, and service providers
Project Description
Omni partnered with the Virginia State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW) to produce a comprehensive report on the impacts of gaming and gambling on Virginia youth and young adults. The work drew on Omni's ongoing administration of the Virginia Young Adult Survey (YAS), a statewide survey instrument Omni developed in collaboration with the SEOW in 2016. In the spring of 2022, the YAS collected responses from 5,327 young adults across the Commonwealth, generating the primary dataset that anchored this report.
Omni led the analysis of YAS data related to gaming and gambling behaviors, including participation rates, reported impacts on finances and daily functioning, substance use patterns, and connections to self-harm and suicidality. The analysis examined differences across gender and race, surfacing statistically significant disparities that carry direct implications for how prevention and treatment efforts should be targeted and designed. Omni's team contextualized these Virginia-specific findings within the broader national research base, situating the state's trends within what is known about problem gambling epidemiology, co-occurring disorders, and the growing convergence between gaming and gambling products.
The final report synthesizes these findings in an accessible format suited for a wide audience of behavioral health professionals, community organizations, and state agency staff. It covers the definitions and risk factors associated with gaming and gambling disorders, Virginia trend data, equity findings, and an overview of prevention strategies, treatment modalities, and recovery resources available to Virginians. The report was produced in partnership with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, which has used Omni's recommended strategies to build out its statewide prevention planning.
Gaming and gambling sit at the intersection of youth development, mental health, and health equity (and the data make clear that Virginia communities need targeted, evidence-informed strategies that account for who is most at risk and why).
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