Relationship of Internet Addiction and Gambling Craving With Personality and Psychological Well-Being

The availability of the Internet in current society has brought about the development of Internet addiction and participation in online gambling. The objective of this study was to relate Internet addiction and gambling craving with personality and psychological well-being, measured through self-esteem and satisfaction with life, controlling for differences by gender. The sample consisted of 517 Spanish university students (28.6% males), aged 21–23 years (mean age = 21.53 years; SD = 3.76). Participants were administered the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Gambling Craving Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Mini-IPIP Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The results show that Internet addiction is negatively related to self-esteem, satisfaction with life, and personality traits of agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. Gambling craving was related negatively to self-esteem, satisfaction with life, and the personality traits of agreeableness and openness to experience. Finally, the results indicate differences by gender when predicting Internet addiction and gambling craving through personality and psychological well-being.