Senior Citizens – Are They Becoming Compulsive Gambling
Does casino gambling prey on the poor and the elderly?
The slot machine is where all serious casino gamblers get their start. There’s no skill involved, so it’s a perfect fit for beginners as well as seniors.
There’s no such thing as an “expert” slot player. They don’t exist, simply because the game is nothing but luck, no skills what so ever needed to play
Gambling by senior citizens has surged in states that have legalized and glamorized various forms of wagering from state lotteries, bingo racinos, and slot parlors to casino gambling.
A senior citizen may daydream about gambling to escape reality and think that gambling is his or her most exciting activity. Many hours are often spent involved in gambling activities.
For most seniors, gambling is entertainment, pure and simple. It’s a chance to escape with friends, get away from day to day stresses and have fun. Winning money is a bonus, not the primary objective. Most seniors who gamble continue to take care of their health and financial obligations.
Some older residents may gamble to excess after the death of a spouse or after retiring and losing the sense of worth they felt when they were working. They may have outlived many friends and family members or be separated by large geographical distances from children.
For a growing number of seniors, gambling is a losing enterprise. More time and attention are needed as the gambler attempts to win back what he/she has lost. If the losses continue, the gambler may sell possessions or property to cover expenses, or seek risky or high interest loans.
Problem gambling is a progressive addiction characterized by increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to play more frequently, or the irritability when attempting to stop plus, loss of control.
Compulsive gambling is not discriminatory. The percentage of female gamblers is on the rise. Compulsive gambling is a progressive behavior disorder characterized by a psychologically uncontrollable preoccupation and urges to gamble.
Most women tend to be escape gamblers. They prefer casino, lottery and Bingo types of gambling Experts on compulsive gambling are alarmed. They worry that senior gamblers, many of them on fixed incomes, are more vulnerable to financial devastation than younger gamblers and less willing to seek timely help for addiction.
A 35 year-old can recoup their losses over time. But, a 65 -70-year-old stands to lose everything, they’re done. Their lives will crumble in front of them. They may not be able to recoup the financial loss.
Even critics of the gambling industry concede that casinos make seniors feel welcome. Surveys indicate that casino outings are the most popular day trip for retired Americans. Senior gamblers merit special attention because the consequences of compulsive gambling can be so severe.
Some do not want to be told what to do it’s insulting and demeaning to suggest you shouldn’t be doing this because you’re too old.
For those senior citizens who do choose to gamble, the data shows that the vast majority of them come to casinos for the social interaction. Fun and entertainment, not gambling, is their primary motivation. Seniors see casinos as an “inexpensive day out” for someone on a fixed income.
If you’ve been to a casino lately, you’ve no doubt seen them, senior citizens piling out of buses and dashing for the slot machines. And let’s not forget, bingo, and state and national lottery games galore daily numbers, Mega Million Jackpot games and those very popular scratch off tickets, it seems that senior love those scratch off game.
For many suspected reasons age-related cognitive decline, boredom, and underlying depression — older adults seem to be more vulnerable to problem gambling than other age groups. And for seniors on fixed incomes, the prospects of ever fully recovering from gambling losses can be dim.
Most seniors will gamble wisely, but as with other groups, we know that a certain percentage will develop gambling problems in any age group, and the greater numbers of senior citizens who participate in gambling mean that there are greater numbers who are developing problems.
Like many things in life, euphoria may come with gambling, but it’s also self-destructive because even if you win millions of dollars, it doesn’t solve problems, you’re not any happier. You may have more things, but you still have to face the ravages of getting old
Gambling is socially acceptable in our society. Senior centers take bus trips to the casinos, but a certain percentage of all people who gamble will get hooked.
Some seniors who gamble do so within their means, but if it starts taking away money, time, or emotion from then it’s a problem.
Casino gambling helps fill the long days for many senior citizens, but when their gambling addiction becomes a problem, the results can be disastrous. Once they exhaust their retirement nest egg, that’s it.
The desire to fill time is just one factor that makes older adults particularly vulnerable. Often, they have disposable income. Some are bored or depressed, their children having grown, perhaps a spouse having died. For many, the sedentary nature of casino gambling, the sitting behind a slot machine is something they can still do for any length of time.
As a result, gambling is seen as a method of improving self-esteem in the elderly who are once again “included in the action” of a society that tends to exclude them and hide them away.
Older adults have two characteristics that make them attractive to the gaming industry, time on their hands, and for many, accumulated wealth. Gambling machines are fun and exciting, they don’t talk back and don’t require any special skills what so ever.
Put your money in or insert a voucher into the machine, press the spin button or pull the handle and watch and see if you win or lose, it’s as easy as that.
For some seniors, gambling is purely a form of entertainment and fills a social void. They are able to set reasonable limits on the amounts they are willing to lose and stick by their own guidelines. But others turn to gambling as a means of excitement and “something different” to relieve psychological stress resulting from life changes and losses
Before you know it, bank accounts become depleted or savings and retirement accounts are tapped into and sometimes drained. Some older Americans jeopardize their paid-off or nearly paid-off homes by turning to home equity lines of credit, or they incur heavy credit card debt. Retired citizens who have gambled away a pension have little time for a new start in life.
Remember, you are at the casino to have fun, slot play should be fun. If you lose interest or get bored, cash out, there is always another day. The casinos and the slot machine will be there waiting for you believe me. No sense in rushing back.
If you think you have a problem or know someone that does you can seek guidance and help at the Council’s 1-800-GAMBLER© Helpline. Here are some web links:
ncpgambling.org, gamblersanonymous.org, familydoctor.org
