Gambling Behaviours and Problem Gambling Among Older Adults Who Patronize Ontario Casinos or Racinos

Abstract

This study examined the rate of gambling problems among Ontario older adults at gambling venues. Herein we describe an intercept survey that took place at casinos and horse racing tracks with slot machines or other forms of casino games (racinos) in southwestern Ontario, Canada. This method provided a significant opportunity to obtain a large sample of older adult casino gamblers in order to understand the gambling habits and gambling problems of this population. We used an intercept recruitment method to obtain a sample of 2,103 older adults (aged 55 and older) who were gambling at each of the seven gaming venues, as well as a systematic quota sampling method for age category (e.g., 55–64, 65–74, and 75 and above) and sex. On average, the participants engaged in 3.6 forms of gambling in the past year, and 78.6% reported playing slot machines or other forms of electronic gaming machines monthly or more often. They reported spending an average of 3.29 hr gambling at casinos or racinos per visit and 134.9 hr at casinos or racinos per year. Just over one-fifth of the sample reported spending more than $6,000 in casinos or racinos in the past year. Based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), the proportion of the sample experiencing severe problem gambling (PGSI = 8+) was 6.9%, and an additional 20.3% reported moderate gambling problems (PGSI = 3 to 7).RésuméCette étude a examiné le taux de problèmes de jeu de personnes âgées de l’Ontario sur les sites de jeu. On y décrit un sondage par interception qui a eu lieu dans des casinos et des pistes de course de chevaux où se trouvent des machines à sous ou d’autres formes de jeux de casino (racinos) dans le sud-ouest de l’Ontario, au Canada. Cette méthode a fourni une occasion importante d’obtenir un vaste échantillon de joueurs de casino adultes plus âgés afin de comprendre les habitudes de jeu et les problèmes de jeu de cette population. Nous avons utilisé une méthode de recrutement par interception pour obtenir un échantillon de 2 103 aînés (âgés de 55 ans et plus) qui jouaient à chacun des sept sites de jeu, ainsi qu’une méthode d’échantillonnage systématique par quotas pour les catégories d’âge (p. ex. 55–64, 65–74 et 75 ans et plus) et le sexe. En moyenne, les participants ont joué à 3,6 formes de jeu au cours de la dernière année, et 78,6 % ont déclaré jouer aux machines à sous ou à d’autres formes de machines de jeux électroniques tous les mois ou plus souvent. Ils ont déclaré avoir consacré en moyenne 3,29 heures à jouer dans les casinos ou les racinos par visite et 134,9 heures dans les casinos ou les racinos par année. Un peu plus d’un cinquième de l’échantillon a déclaré avoir dépensé plus de 6 000 $ dans des casinos ou des racinos au cours de la dernière année. Selon l’Indice de gravité du jeu problématique (IGJP), la proportion de joueurs de l’échantillon ayant eu des problèmes de jeu excessifs (IGJP = 8+) était de 6,9 %, et une autre partie de 20,3 % des joueurs a signalé avoir des problèmes de jeu modérés (IGJP = 3 à 7).

The impact of casino proximity on northeast urban communities: a literature review

“…Urban casino gambling is even more accessible, available, and acceptable in the northeast; yet, the risks of increased urban casino-gambling participation, which could potentially impact the prevalence of gambling-related problems such as economic distress, mental disorders, and health problems (Ariyabuddhiphongs, 2012;Conway, 2015;Martin et al, 2011;Stansbury et al, 2015;Tolchard, 2015;Tong and Chim, 2013;Turner et al, 2018) for casino patrons and the community-atlarge have not been exhausted in the literature. Hardly any research on urban casinos and how they impact host environments in major metropolitan cities were uncovered.…”

“…Gambling disorder and problem gambling are frequently used interchangeably in the gambling literature; however, studies that examined casinos, casino participation, and socio-economic aspects of casino gambling, commonly used problem gambling (Ashley and Boehlke, 2012;Barnes et al, 2013;Baxter et al, 2016;Conway, 2015;Gattis and Cunningham-Williams, 2011;Hodgins and Petry, 2016;Stansbury et al, 2015;Tong and Chim, 2013;Turner et al, 2018;Welte et al, 2016a;Welte et al, 2016b).…”

A Whale of a Tale: Gaming Disorder and Spending and Their Associations With Ad Watching in Role-Playing and Loot-Box Gaming

“…In addition, we found that the involvement of gamers was not predictive of how likely they are to watch ads for currency. It could be thatas Turner et al (2018) reported-the risk factors of gambling such as being unmarried, having a lower income, and, ironically, being employed-correspond to those who are most invested in ad watching. Whales may not, after all, be those with the most money, but those who perceive themselves as spending the most money and thus are most interested in supplementing it by whatever means necessary.…”

“…This finding implies an association between the nature of wanting to acquire more in-game currency and ad watching. Notably, in this genre of gaming, with such a strong association with gambling (Brooks & Clark, 2019;Turner et al, 2018), it is interesting to see the potential implications of advertisers targeting a vulnerable public, players with gaming disorders who are enjoying a game type that may constitute gambling. Because gambling addictions typically suggest a lack of volitional control, in order to earn the currency in the games that they are addicted to, gamers may be willing to engage in behaviour that may normally be considered annoying (e.g., ad watching).…”

Developing a Best Practices Guide for the Prevention of Problem Gambling Among Older Adults

“…Regarding bus tours, two recent studies have shed light on this issue. Van der Mass et al (2017;, in two separate studies, found that problem gambling scores are higher among those who report using a bus to get to the casino (see also Turner, et al, 2018). These studies highlight the need to collect empirical evidence from older adults in order to make evidence-based decisions.…”