Reasons Older Adults Gamble
Entertainment
To cope with losses: personal decline in health; loss of partner; loss of vehicle; retirement (loss of job/profession identity); loss of home; chronic pain; disabilities; abuse
To experience feelings of elation which may diminish their awareness of physical pain
Intensified personal vulnerability toward compulsive behavior
To gain a purpose in life
Targeted by marketing enterprises: promotions, buffets, drawings, etc.
Disposable income: retirement income; fewer expenses in monthly budget
Resource: Senior Prevention Intervention Counseling Education (S.P.I.C.E.) Topeka, Kansas
WHY SHOULD SENIORS LEARN ABOUT PROBLEM GAMBLING?
When problem gambling does develop in an older adult, they have less time and opportunity to recover their losses. When older adults and their friends take the time to become educated about problem gambling they are more likely to:
not become enablers of problem gamblers
be able to recognize problem gambling in themselves and get help
What treatment is available for problem gambling in seniors?