A Passion for Gambling: A Generation-Specific Conceptual Analysis and Review of Gambling Among Older Adults in Canada

Abstract

The proliferation of gambling opportunities in Canada, coupled with an aging population, has led to an increased prevalence of gambling among older adults. Encouraged by this trend, gambling industries have modified their activities to attract and market to this group. Yet, older adults are not a homogeneous group. The life experiences, values, and attitudes shared by generations make a cohort-specific analysis of gambling among older adults a worthwhile pursuit. Drawing from the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al. in J Pers Soc Psychol 85(4):756-767, 2003), we discuss the role of passion in shaping gambling behaviours, and the implications of a harmonious or obsessive passion on the benefits and risks to two distinct generations of older adults. Based on their generational attributes, we posit that members of the Silent Generation (those born between 1925 and 1942) stand to gain more from the benefits of recreational gambling, but also stand lose more from problem gambling, than their children's generation, the Baby Boomers (those born between 1942 and 1964). Preventative strategies to assist problem gambling seniors, along with recommendations for further research, are discussed.

A free ride? An analysis of the association of casino bus tours and problem gambling among older adults

“…This study also provided insight into whether inducements to visit a gambling venue, such as subsidized transportation, may expose some groups of older adults to greater harm than others. Recent reviews of research focused on gambling among older adults have identified a need for research to recognize the variety of gambling experiences within the rather diverse category of older adults [37,17]. The above results show significantly higher rates of tour patronage for the oldest cohort in the study [37] and for specific cultural groups and, as such, these groups may be placed at greater risk of problem gambling as a result of inducements to visit a gambling venue.…”

“…For example, the proportion of adults aged 65 and over in Ontario grew from 12.9 to 14.6% of the total population between 2001 and 2011 and is projected to reach 24% of the Canadian population by 2038 [14][15][16]. Cognizant of this trend, casinos and other gambling venues have taken care to market to the needs of older adults specifically by advertising and organizing trips through retirement homes, booking performers who began their careers in the 1960s and 1970s from Paul Anka to ZZ Top and offering medical services such as oxygen tanks and needle disposal for insulin treatment [17]. Promotions targeting older adults are varied and widespread, but relatively little is known about their connection to problem gambling, making it difficult to assume where they fit into strategies aimed at addressing problem gambling.…”

“…Gambling can offer opportunities to socialize, to participate in economic activity and to take risks that may otherwise be less available to them [17,21,22]. These benefits become particularly attractive at a stage in life when options for leisure tend to become more constrained due to declining physical health and limited opportunities for access [23].…”

Age-related physical and psychological vulnerability as pathways to problem gambling in older adults

“…Several core motivations for gambling might be operative in older adult populations. Recent increases in the availability of gambling products and services (including online gambling), combined with age-related physical deterioration, means that gambling may represent one of the few leisure pursuits that are available and highly accessible to older adults ( Alberghetti & Collins, 2015 ; Erickson, Molina, Ladd, Pietrzak, & Petry, 2005 ; Pattinson & Parke, 2016 ; Pietrzak & Petry, 2006 ). For some individuals, old age is associated with retirement from employment and declining social networks and purpose in life ( Alberghetti & Collins, 2015 ).…”

Anziani e gioco d'azzardo: una ricerca su consapevolezza, abitudini e rischi tra gli over 65 anni con il Senior Problem Gambling Questionnaire (SPGQ)

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IntroduzioneIl fenomeno del gioco d'azzardo patologico sta destando interesse crescente in ambito sanitario, sia in termini di attenzione della ricerca medico-scientifica che in termini di politiche nel campo della prevenzione e del trattamento.Sebbene il gioco d'azzardo patologico possa coinvolgere persone di qualunque fascia di età, quella degli over 65 anni appare particolarmente vulnerabile e rappresenta al contempo un target interessante e specifico per le industrie del gioco (Alberghetti, 2015). Ciononostante l'impatto del gioco d'azzardo sulla popolazione anziana, sia a livello ricreativo che patologico, è a tutt'oggi poco esaminato ed è ancora bassa l'attenzione della ricerca sulle caratteristiche dei giocatori d'azzardo anziani, sulle loro modalità di gioco, sulle loro motivazioni al giocare d'azzardo, sui fattori specifici che li distinguono da altre fasce di età.

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