Gambling and family: A two-way relationship

Harms from Other People's Gambling: Associations with an Individual's Own Gambling Behaviours, Health Risk Behaviours, Financial Problems, General Health, and Mental Wellbeing

This study aimed to explore relationships between being an 'affected other' (AO) and an individual's own gambling, health risk behaviours, financial problems, poor general health, and low mental wellbeing. A cross-sectional survey using representative and supplementary convenience samples was undertaken with 1234 residents of a British Island aged 16 + years. Being an AO was measured as having a partner or relative who has been gambling regularly in the past 12 months. PGSI was used to assess gambling severity. Health risk behaviours included: poor diet, low physical activity, daily smoking, and binge drinking. Other measures included experiencing financial problems, poor general health, and low mental wellbeing. Analyses were performed using χ2 and binary logistic regressions. 11.0% of participants were AOs. AOs were more likely to gamble at at-risk/problem-gambling levels and experience financial problems compared to those who were not affected others. The significant relationship between being an AO and low mental wellbeing was mediated by experiencing financial problems. The relationship between being an AO and engaging in two or more health risk behaviours was no longer significant after controlling for sociodemographics and an individual's own gambling. The relationship between being an AO and poor general health was no longer significant after controlling for sociodemographics, health risk behaviours and an individual's own gambling. AOs experienced risks to health and wellbeing, with findings not limited to AOs specifically with a relationship to an individual with problem-gambling. Therefore, support for AOs should be more widely available, aiming to address AOs' needs holistically.

What is known about population level programs designed to address gambling-related harm: rapid review of the evidence

BACKGROUND

Gambling and gambling-related harm attract significant researcher and policy attention. The liberalisation of gambling in most western countries is strongly associated with a marked rise in gambling activity and increases in gambling-related harm experienced at the population level. Programs to address gambling-related harm have traditionally focused on individuals who demonstrate problematic gambling behaviour, despite clear evidence of the effectiveness of a public health approach to high-risk activities like gambling. Little is known about the availability or efficacy of programs to address gambling-related harm at a population level.

METHODS

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation commissioned a rapid evidence review of the available evidence on programs designed to reduce gambling-related harm at a population level. The review was conducted using a public health and harm reduction lens. MEDLINE, ProQuest Central and PsychInfo databases were searched systematically. Included studies were published in English between 2017 - 2023 from all countries with gambling policy contexts and public health systems comparable to Australia's; included primary data; and focused on primary and/or secondary prevention of gambling-related harm or problems.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-seven articles were eligible for inclusion. Themes identified in the literature included: risk and protective factors; primary prevention; secondary prevention; tertiary prevention; target population group; and public health approach. The evidence review revealed a gap in empirical evidence around effective interventions to reduce gambling-related harm at the population level, particularly from a public health perspective.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing gambling-related harm requires a nuanced, multi-layered approach that acknowledges the complex social, environmental, and commercial nature of gambling and associated harms. Moreover, evidence demonstrates community programs to reduce gambling-related harm are more successful in reducing harm when based on sound theory of co-design and address the social aspects that contribute to harm.

A scoping review of the individual, socio-cultural, environmental and commercial determinants of gambling for older adults: implications for public health research and harm prevention

Gambling is a global public health issue that can cause harm to individuals, families, and communities. Older adults are vulnerable to gambling harm due to life-stage experiences. This study aimed to examine current research relating to individual, socio-cultural, environmental, and commercial determinants of gambling among older adults. A scoping review was conducted (PubMed, PsycInfo, SocIndex, CINAHL Complete, Web of Science, Social Science and Sociology databases available in ProQuest, Google Scholar, citation searching), with peer reviewed studies included that were published between 1 December 1999 and 28 September 2022. Included studies were published in English in peer-reviewed journals that examined the determinants of gambling in adults aged 55 and over. Records were excluded if they were experimental studies, prevalence studies or had a population wider than the required age group. Methodological quality was assessed using JBI critical appraisal tools. Data was extracted using a determinants of health framework and common themes were identified. Forty-four were included. Most literature examined individual and socio-cultural determinants including reasons for gambling, risk management strategies, and social motivations for gambling. Few studies investigated environmental or commercial determinants, and those that did focused on accessibility of venues or promotions as pathways to gambling. Further research is needed to understand the impact of gambling environments and industry, and effective public health responses for older adults.

Secrecy, self-blame and risks for social exclusion-Family members' experiences of gambling problems in Japan

The predominant gambling policy to respond to the adverse consequences of excessive gambling has been the Reno Model, which places the responsibility for gambling-caused problems on gamblers themselves. The newly implemented Japanese gambling policy, which shares basic premises with the Reno Model, focuses on the individual pathology of gamblers. However, this model lacks other critical perspectives: environmental and structural factors. To fully understand the harms caused by gambling; it is important to also pay attention to the negative consequences for affected others. In this brief report, we explore family members' experiences of gambling problems within the specific context of the Japanese gambling policy. Interviews with family members reveal self-stigma of being bad parents which elicits shame and efforts to maintain secrecy, as well as public stigma involving labeling, isolation, risks of status loss, social exclusion and discrimination. The focus on individual pathology in Japanese legislation as well as in public and professional perception, reinforces self-blame, anxiety, and remorse on the part of affected family members. When contrasted with the lived experiences of gamblers' family members, the inconsistencies and unreasonableness of the individual pathology paradigm in Japanese gambling policy become evident. It is necessary to shift the focus of gambling policies from individual to socio-political-cultural factors, investigating how these factors influence gambling-caused harm, especially in the Japanese context.

Alexithymia, Dissociation, and Family Functioning in a Sample of Online Gamblers: A Moderated Mediation Study

The diffusion of the internet and technological progress have made gambling on online platforms possible, also making it more anonymous, convenient, and available, increasing the risk of pathological outcomes for vulnerable individuals. Given this context, the present study explores the role of some protective and risk factors for problematic gambling in online gamblers by focusing on the interaction between alexithymia, dissociation, and family functioning. A sample of 193 online gamblers (Mage = 28.8 years, SD = 10.59; 17% females, 83% males) completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen, Twenty-Items Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Dissociative Experience Scale-II, and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-IV through an online survey. MANOVA, ANOVA and moderated mediation analyses were carried out to analyse the data. Significant differences in cohesive family functioning, alexithymia and dissociation have been found between online gamblers with problematic, at-risk or absent levels of gambling disease. Furthermore, the results showed a significant and positive association between alexithymia and problematic online gambling, partially mediated by dissociation, with the moderation of cohesive family functioning. Such data may have relevant clinical implications, highlighting the interaction of some core personal and environmental variables that may be involved in the etiology of online pathological gambling and could be kept in mind to tailor preventive interventions.

What game we are playing: the psychosocial context of problem gambling, problem gaming and poor well-being among Italian high school students

Gambling and gaming are not infrequent among adolescents and preventing low-risk youth from becoming at-risk appears to be a priority of public health strategies. Greater scrutiny of the risk and protective factors in the relationships and community of young people appears crucial in steering prevention initiatives adequately. This study aimed to explore the role of the qualities of relational networks (i.e. family functioning, perceived social and class support), family and peer approval and view of the social environment in predicting problem gambling, problem gaming and overall well-being among adolescents. High-school students aged 14-18 years (N: 595; female: 68,7%) completed a survey including the target variables. A multivariate multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the role of socio-demographic characteristics and psychosocial predictors on gaming, gambling, and well-being. Multivariate multiple regressions identify a common core underpinning problem gambling, gaming and poor well-being but also the distinct roles of psychosocial variables: being male, with low parental monitoring, and an anomic view of the social environment all predict problem gambling and gaming, which were also found to be associated. Low social support predicts problem gambling but not problem gaming; poor family functioning predicts problem gaming but not problem gambling. All the target psychosocial variables, except approval of gambling, predict poor well-being. On the whole the findings suggest the need to look more closely at the way adolescents, their system of activity and their culture participate in constructing the meaning of gambling and gaming activities and their impact on adolescents' well-being, so that future studies and strategies can more effectively examine the relational dynamics in which problem gambling and gaming develop.

Factors Influencing Gambling Behavior Among Employees in Macau Gambling Industry

Casino staff of the gambling industry seem to have a higher risk of pathological gambling than the general public because they share many previously identified risk factors, such as easy access to gambling activities. The studies in western countries reported casino staff have a higher prevalence of problematic gambling than the general public. However, some studies in Macau revealed gambling behavior among casino staff is not more common than among other residents there. A quantitative study was conducted with employees of Macau's casinos (N = 714) to understand gambling behavior among casino staff. Structural equation modeling was developed with time spent on gambling as a dependent variable, and awareness of responsible gambling, sensation-seeking tendency, psychological distress, demographic factors, peer/family pressure against gambling, and perception of expected rewards as independent variables. T-test, ANOVA, and correlations were computed for analyzing the obtained data. The structural equation modelling with the time spent on gambling as a dependent variable showed an acceptable model fit (The Chi-square = 5.567, Probability level = .696, CMIN/DF 0.696; NFI = 0.976; NNFI = 1.072; CFI = 1.000; RMSEA = 0.000). Psychological distress, sensation-seeking tendency, peer/family pressure against gambling all have significant effects on time spent on gambling. Perception of expected rewards showed the highest R square in the structural equation modeling and accounted for 77.9% cases of variance for the time spent on gambling. It is predicted that protective factors against pathological gambling include prohibition of gambling in the working venue, a satisfactory salary, and exposure to negative impacts of gambling via their job duties. Given that a high proportion of staff share most risk factors and less than 30% of respondents participated in gambling in the past year, further exploration of the protective factors from casino employees' point of view and further research on casino workers' "expected rewards" are recommended to generate ideas for improving the effectiveness of responsible gambling campaigns in future.

Contribution of stressful life events to gambling activity in older age

Older subjects are susceptible to develop gambling problems, and researchers have attempted to assess the mechanisms underlying the gambling profile in later life. The objective of this study was to identify the main stressful life events (SLE) across the lifespan which have discriminative capacity for detecting the presence of gambling disorder (GD) in older adults. Data from two independent samples of individuals aged 50+ were analysed: N = 47 patients seeking treatment at a Pathological Gambling Outpatient Unit and N = 361 participants recruited from the general population. Sexual problems (p < 0.001), exposure to domestic violent behaviour (p < 0.001), severe financial problems (p = 0.002), alcohol or drug-related problems (p = 0.004) and extramarital sex (p < 0.001) were related to a higher risk of GD, while getting married (p = 0.005), moving to a new home (p = 0.003) and moving to a new city (p = 0.006) decreased the likelihood of disordered gambling. The accumulated number of SLE was not a predictor of the presence of GD (p = 0.732), but patients who met clinical criteria for GD reported higher concurrence of SLE in time than control individuals (p < 0.001). Empirical research highlights the need to include older age groups in evidence-based policies for gambling prevention, because these individuals are at high risk of onset and/or progression of behavioural addiction-related problems such as GD. The results of this study may be useful for developing reliable screening/diagnostic tools and for planning effective early intervention programmes aimed to reduce the harm related to the onset and evolution of problem gambling in older adults.

Determinants of Gambling Disorders in Elderly People-A Systematic Review

Background: Despite the growth in the number of studies on gambling disorders (GDs) and the potentially severe harm it may cause, problem gambling in older adults is rarely apparent in literature. Driven by the need to overcome this limitation, a broad systematic review is essential to cover the studies that have already assessed the determinants of GD in the elderly. Objectives: The aim of this systematic review is to understand the determinants related to GDs in elderly people. Methods: A total of 51 studies met the inclusion criteria, and data were synthesized. Results: Three major types of determinants were identified in this review: individual, socio-financial and environmental. Conclusions: This review explored the determinants influencing GDs in older people. The findings are relevant to academics, policymakers, patients, and practitioners interested in the identification and prevention of GD in older people.