Replication of Low-Risk Gambling Limits Using Canadian Provincial Gambling Prevalence Data (original) (raw)
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A research plan to define Canada’s first low-risk gambling guidelines
Health Promotion International
From a public health perspective, gambling shares many of the same characteristics as alcohol. Notably, excessive gambling is associated with many physical and emotional health harms, including depression, suicidal ideation, substance use and addiction and greater utilization of health care resources. Gambling also demonstrates a similar ‘dose-response’ relationship as alcohol—the more one gambles, the greater the likelihood of harm. Using the same collaborative, evidence-informed approach that produced Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking and Lower Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines, a research team is leading the development of the first national Low-Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGGs) that will include quantitative thresholds for safe gambling. This paper describes the research methodology and the decision-making process for the project. The guidelines will be derived through secondary analyses of several large population datasets from Canada and other countries, including both cross-sectio...
Examining the predictive validity of low-risk gambling limits with longitudinal data
Addiction, 2012
To assess the impact of gambling above the low-risk gambling limits developed by on future harm. To identify demographic, behavioural, clinical and environmental factors that predict the shift from low-to high-risk gambling habits over time. Design Longitudinal cohort study of gambling habits in community-dwelling adults. Setting Alberta, Canada. Participants A total of 809 adult gamblers who completed the time 1 and time 2 assessments separated by a 14-month interval. Measurements Low-risk gambling limits were defined as gambling no more than three times per month, spending no more than CAN$1000 per year on gambling and spending less than 1% of gross income on gambling. Gambling habits, harm from gambling and gambler characteristics were assessed by the Canadian Problem Gambling Index. Ancillary measures of substance abuse, gambling environment, major depression, impulsivity and personality traits assessed the influence of other risk factors on the escalation of gambling intensity. Findings Gamblers classified as low risk at time 1 and shifted into high-risk gambling by time 2 were two to three times more likely to experience harm compared to gamblers who remained low risk at both assessments. Factors associated with the shift from low-to high-risk gambling behaviour from time 1 to time 2 included male gender, tobacco use, older age, having less education, having friends who gamble and playing electronic gaming machines. Conclusions An increase in the intensity of gambling behaviour is associated with greater likelihood of future gambling related harm in adults.
“Predictors of Gambling and Problem Gambling in Canada.”
Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2021
Objectives The purpose of this study is to provide an updated profile of gamblers and problem gamblers in Canada and to identify characteristics most strongly associated with problem gambling. Methods An assessment of gambling participation and problem gambling was included in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and administered to 23,952 individuals 18 years and older. Descriptive statistics provided a demographic profile for each type of gambling involvement as well as category of gambler (non-gambler, non-problem gambler, at-risk gambler, problem gambler). A logistic regression identified characteristics that best distinguished problem from non-problem gamblers. Results Gambling participation and problem gambling both varied as a function of gender, income, educational attainment, and race/ethnicity. However, multivariate analysis identified electronic gambling machine (EGM) participation to be the primary predictor of problem gambling status, with race/ethnicity, presence of a mood disorder, male gender, casino table game participation, older age, a greater level of smoking, participation in speculative financial activity, instant lottery participation, lower household income, and lottery or raffle ticket participation providing additional predictive power. Provincial EGM density and EGM participation rates are also very strong predictors of provincial rates of at-risk and problem gambling. Conclusion Problem gambling has a biopsychosocial etiology, determined by personal vulnerability factors combined with the presence of riskier types of gambling such as EGMs. Effective prevention requires a multifaceted approach, but constraints on the availability and operation of EGMs would likely have the greatest single public health benefit.
The Effect of Gambling on Health: Evidence from Canada
2011
Abstract The relationship between gambling and health has important economic and public policy implications. We develop causal evidence about the relationship between recreational gambling and health using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) cycles 2.1, 3.1 and 4.1. Recreational gamblers are gamblers who are classified as “non-problem” gamblers according to the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI). Gambling is treated as an endogenous regressor in the health equations.
Gambling and problem gambling in Canada: An overview
Participation in games of chance pre-dates recorded human history. Gambling is a behaviour that produces mixed feelings in society. It can be an exciting and enjoyable behavior though it is also an activity that has regularly been prohibited and remains closely regulated. In Canada, the escalating necessity to generate new income streams by both provincial and federal governments has increased the accessibility and availability of different forms of gambling. As a direct consequence, the need and demand for intervention has grown. This article highlights key historical developments in gambling, provides definitions and characteristics of different types of gamblers, and concludes with a review of current assessment instruments and treatment approaches.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2022
Until now, there has been no evidence-based, specific advice for people who gamble who want to reduce their risk of experiencing gambling harms. This paper presents the results from the first large-scale, comprehensive, international project to develop lower-risk gambling guidelines. Specifically, we calculated relative risk estimates to determine risk of harm across the range of possible limits for gambling frequency, expenditure, and number of types of gambling engaged in; conducted an online survey (n = 4583) of people who gamble to assess whether they understood and found credible the proposed quantitative limits; conducted a series of interviews and focus groups with people who gamble to assess self-control strategies and reactions to proposed quantitative limits; conducted a meta-analysis of problem gambling risk factors in the general population; and consulted with a pan-Canadian, multi-sectoral committee of stakeholders. Project outcomes were examined and deliberated by a working group of scientists who decided upon a set of recommendations for lower-risk gambling. This paper presents these recommendations.
Patterns and trends in gambling participation in the Quebec population between 2009 and 2012
Can J Public Health, 2015
OBJECTIVES: To describe gambling practices and trends in Quebec between 2009 and 2012 given that, in Canada, public funding allocation to address the risks associated with gambling practices should be based on valid prevalence data and knowledge of patterns and trends in vulnerable populations. METHODS: The study data were taken from the 2009 and 2012 cross-sectional waves of the Enquête sur les habitudes de jeu des Québécois (ENHJEU-Québec). The analytical sample consisted of 11,888 respondents in 2009 and 12,008 respondents in 2012. RESULTS: The prevalence of lifetime non-gamblers in the adult population of Quebec increased from 13.6% in 2009 to 16.4% in 2012, and past-year gambling participation decreased from 70.5% to 66.2%. Changes in gambling patterns were not contingent on demographic characteristics; gambling prevalence decreased in all subcategories. The proportion of problem and low-risk gamblers remained unchanged, whereas the prevalence of non-problem gamblers decreased significantly from 66.1% in 2009 to 61.5% in 2012. CONCLUSION: Gambling participation in Quebec is decreasing, though the proportion of problem gamblers remains stable. Given these findings, allocation of public resources for health care services should be maintained. Secondary and primary prevention efforts need to be initiated or maintained to prevent gambling harm.
A population-level metric for gambling-related harm
Prior estimates of population level impact of gambling has relied on economic costings. Recent work has derived disability weights for the Problem Gambling Severity Index, which measure per-person impact of gambling on quality of life on a scale of zero to one (Browne et al. 2016, in press). This provided scope for the present study to calculate the ‘burden of gambling harm’; which captures the aggregate impact of harms arising from gambling on quality of life in a population. Gambling-related harm was associated with 101,675 years of life lost in Victoria, Australia: approximately two-thirds that of alcohol use and dependence, and major depressive disorder. Problem gamblers suffer more individually (disability weight = .44) compared to those in moderate (.29) and low (.13) risk categories. Nevertheless, moderate and low risk gamblers account for 85% of population-level harm, due to greater prevalence of these groups. Overall, the scale of gambling-related harm is large relative to other significant health issues, with milder yet non-negligible harm accruing to a relatively broad segment of the gambling population. We suggest that the tendency to conflate the (typically low) prevalence of problem gambling with total gambling impact is misleading, and argue for a broader population health based measure.