Male and female sexual orientation differences in gambling

The purpose of this study was to determine whether sexual orientation differences in gambling exist that parallel those for sex—a question motivated by the idea that male homosexuality arises from prenatal brain feminization and that female homosexuality arises from prenatal brain masculinization. For gambling frequency, we hypothesized that male homosexuals would be more similar to female heterosexuals than male heterosexuals, and that female homosexuals would be more similar to male heterosexuals than female heterosexuals. Subjects were 10,598 individuals classified as homosexual men (n = 935), heterosexual men (n = 4187), homosexual women (n = 275), or heterosexual women (n = 5201). Data came from survey interviews conducted by staff members of The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction from 1938 to 1963. Results showed that (a) homosexual men gambled less than heterosexual men, the greatest difference occurring at low levels of gambling frequency, and (b) homosexual women gambled more than heterosexual women, the greatest difference occurring at high levels of gambling frequency. Parallels are drawn between gambling and two other addictive behaviors, tobacco use and alcohol consumption. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.