Gambling: A Popular Form of Entertainment for Older Adults
Walk into any casino across America and you will see many older adults engaged in gambling activities. At one time bingo was the main form of gambling among the elderly, but the expansion of legalized gambling has led to more and more older adults turning to casinos for their entertainment. And why shouldn’t they? Casinos offer a warm, inviting, and ageless atmosphere that clearly contradicts the ageist perspectives 
prevalent in today’s society. Casinos also offer incentives that may appeal to many older adults such as transportation, inexpensive meals, and offers for discounted medication. Other incentives thought to directly target older adults include stage shows by performers from their generation, the installation of defibrillators, table games with hydraulic lifts, and flu shots. These incentives, in combination with the increased availability of legalized gambling venues, have made gambling a popular form of entertainment for many older adults. The graph below depicts the percent increase in past-year and lifetime gambling participation that occurred from 1975 to 1998 among adults 65 years of age and older. It is clear that more older adults are taking advantage of the ease and attractiveness of gambling in today’s environment.
Are Older Adults at Increased Risk for Gambling-Related Problems?
Most older adults are able to gamble without experiencing problems. However, some do develop problems as a result of gambling. Although most national estimates of prevalence rates suggest lower levels of disordered gambling among the elderly, many regional studies have found high prevalence rates for older adults. For instance, one study found that 9.7% of their senior center sample reported disordered gambling. These studies suggest that older adults are not immune to gambling-related problems and may even be more vulnerable due to a number of factors. Researchers have found that disordered gambling among adults in the general population has been associated with high blood pressure, stomach and intestinal problems, and cardiovascular problems. Because older adults are already at increased risk for experiencing health-related problems, additional stressors associated with problematic gambling may serve to exacerbate their health problems. Older adults are also more likely to have fixed incomes and less earning capacity due to their limited ability to work. This may make it more difficult to recuperate from gambling related losses, especially those incurred as a result of disordered gambling. Older adults may also be less likely to borrow money and express the problems that they experience. This may make it harder to determine if their physical and emotional needs are being met. It is thought that many older adults suffer from gambling-related problems silently. Increased discretionary time may also make older adults more vulnerable to the development of gambling related problems. Researchers have found that older adults compared to younger adults are significantly more likely to report gambling due to boredom and as a way to pass the time. Increasing our understanding of these correlates of gambling among older adults is important to help us design effective prevention and intervention programs. The next issue will address the difficulties associated with identifying older adults who may be experiencing gambling-related problems.
