Gambling Addiction

Do physical casinos still have a negative impact?

Gambling addiction affects anywhere from 0.5% to 3% of Americans depending on descriptions ranging from strict clinical definitions on disorders to problem gambling in general.

The largest risk factors for developing an addiction are genetics and existing mental health issues, and odds of problem gambling symptoms are now highest among those who gamble via smartphone apps, tripling the risk compared to other ways to bet. Online sports betting became legal in Indiana September 1, 2019 while real money online casino apps are prohibited.

Still, local leaders acknowledge that older literature supports the connection between small increases in problem gambling rates and closer proximity to physical casino locations. These studies show an indirect link with increases being related to frequency of visits. Those individuals visiting a casino weekly or more tend to enter moderate risk range on the Problem Gambling Severity Index. Further, a 2015 study survey showed those within 30 miles of one physical casino had a 3.9% chance of being a problem gambler vs. a 2.7% chance if there was no casino within 30 miles of a respondent’s home.

The Relationship Between Distance from Gambling Venues and Gambling Participation and Problem Gambling Among U.S. Adults:

Journal of Gambling Studies, Volume 32, 28 November 2015.  John Welte

Abstract

In this article we examine the relationship between extent of gambling for U.S. adults and the distance from their residence to the nearest casino or track. We employ data from a telephone survey of U.S. adults conducted in 2011–2013. The chances that the respondents gambled in the past year, were frequent gamblers, or were problem gamblers were greater if they lived close to a casino. The chances that the respondents gambled in the past year or were frequent gamblers were greater if they lived close to a horse or dog track. The effects of closeness to a casino on the likelihood of past-year gambling, frequent gambling, and problem gambling, as well as the effect of closeness to a track on past-year gambling, extended to about 30 miles from the respondent’s home. In addition, the concentration of casinos within 30 miles of the respondent’s home was positively related to the respondents’ chance of being a frequent or problem gambler. If a respondent had no casinos within 30 miles, he or she had a 2.7 % chance of being a problem gambler; if one casino, a 3.9 % chance; if six or more, a 6.2 % chance. The authors estimate that at least part of this effect is causal.

Gambling and the Multidimensionality of Accessibility: More Than Just Proximity to Venues

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, Volume 9, 03 November 2009.  Anna Thomas

Abstract

Accessibility to gambling has been linked to gambling behaviour but remains poorly understood. This study used data from semi-structured focus groups and interviews with 38 participants (Median age 42 years) to explore wider aspects of accessibility. People preferred venues which were open long hours and located close to home, work or regular routes, i.e., geo-temporal accessibility. This was particularly influential for problem gamblers. Social and personal accessibility related to venues as safe, social, easy entertainment experiences, and as an accessible retreat from life issues. The attraction of an accessible retreat was restricted to problem gamblers. Finally, low outlay games and easy access to money increased financial accessibility. Accessibility should therefore be considered multidimensional. Further, results suggested that while gambling as safe, social entertainment may be relatively harmless, the attraction of geo-temporal accessibility and a retreat from problems may encourage excessive gambling in some individuals.

Cost to taxpayers on gambling vs. alcohol addiction:

While other addictive behaviors are far more prevalent in American society, problem gambling services are the only ones funded by their own industry via gaming revenues.  A portion of the state taxes and admission fees collected from casino operations is legally allocated to fund problem gambling treatment in Indiana. This includes contributions to the Indiana Council on Problem Gambling, the Indiana Problem Gambling Awareness Program, and the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addictions.  Further, casinos are mandated to participate in regulatory measures like the Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP), which allows individuals to ban themselves from gambling facilities.

In contrast, Indiana alcohol excise taxes go directly into the state’s general revenue fund rather than a specific alcohol remediation fund. Funding for Indiana’s alcohol abuse remediation and intervention programs comes from court-ordered fees levied on offenders, state and federal monies, and Medicaid costing Indiana taxpayers $2.7 Billion annually.