Online gambling has grown increasingly popular over the past decade, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Online gamblers tend to face more issues than those who gamble in traditional settings, leading to a higher risk of developing pathological gambling. In Brazil, gambling activities are culturally accepted and normalized, which encourages widespread participation among the population. Therefore, screening and assessing online gambling is now a public necessity. The Online Gambling Disorder Questionnaire (OGD-Q), developed by González-Cabrera et al. (2020), aims to evaluate symptoms of gambling disorder primarily online. Given the significance of this issue in Brazil, this study sought to adapt the scale for cross-cultural use and examine its psychometric properties. The sample included 298 participants who completed an online survey. Nomothetic validity was tested through Spearman’s Rho correlations between measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and online gaming behavior. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and Omega Coefficient, along with confirmatory factor analysis. Results showed strong reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92 and an Omega Coefficient of 0.93. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed one-factor structure, demonstrating good fit indices and factor loadings. Significant correlations were found in the total sample between OGD-Q scores and measures of online gaming, depression, anxiety, and stress. In summary, the findings demonstrate that the Brazilian version of OGD-Q is an effective tool for assessing online gambling disorder in the Brazilian population.
Rego et al. (Sun,) studied this question.