According to a recent study, there is a clear link between gambling and homelessness in Australia, with people over the age of 50 being particularly vulnerable. Data provided by various homelessness services across the country has revealed that older service users have been mostly affected by gambling-related harm because they gamble on a regular basis. Australians over 50 are also the fastest-growing age group of local residents who are affected by homelessness.
So far, little attention has been paid to the issue, with no mention of gambling in any current homelessness strategies of Australian states and territories. This is concerning, considering the fact that, according to 2016 data, the country has the highest gambling losses per capita on a global scale.
Recently, a research team at Monash University’s School of Social Sciences found that gambling and homelessness often occur together. However, the problem usually remains hidden and is still not measured well in the country.
Homeless Elderly People Experience Higher Rates of Gambling-Related Harm
As revealed by Brian Vandenberg, one of the researchers who studied the link between gambling and homelessness in older adults, the scientists from Monash University reviewed the international research on how often the two problems occur together and further explored the possible reasons for this in older residents of Victoria.
According to research results, between 60% and 80% of the general population participated in some form of gambling activities over the past year in countries including Australia (64%), New Zealand (86%), and the US (82.2%). The studies also found that less than 30% of people who are homeless report any gambling at all. Researchers also found that the prevalence of gambling-related harm, such as gambling addiction, financial problems and mental health issues, is higher when it comes to people experiencing homelessness – between 10% and 20% – in comparison to the general population – between 1% and 7%.
Researchers also found that the rate of experiencing homelessness is extremely high in people who also experience gambling-related harm. They reported that on average, around 1 in 6 people who face gambling-related harm actually experiences periods of homelessness or housing problems.
The scientists from Monash University have described as a paradox the fact that homeless people in Australia experienced lower rates of gambling over the past year and at the same time higher rates of gambling-related harm. As a matter of fact, the same trend was noticed across the countries they studied.
Gambling Could Contribute to Homelessness in Older People Along with Other Factors
As part of the study, researchers interviewed 48 healthcare, financial counselling, gambling charity and homelessness services workers in the state of Victoria in order to better understand the alleged relationship between gambling and homelessness. They also looked for reasons why the two problems often occur together and what can be done by local organisations and authorities to prevent the harm.
As mentioned above, the Monash University research team found that gambling can often contribute to housing accommodation and homelessness issues in older age. However, they also found that the link between the two issues in order age is often indirect and also depends on various societal factors that a person cannot control, as well as on certain personal circumstances.
Isolation of older adults has been one of the factors that make gambling seem attractive to such people. Often, a mix of individual vulnerabilities, including relationship breakdown, substance use, early life adversity, and mental health disorders could be added to the aforementioned issues, making gambling even more attractive as a way to escape reality. These findings have aligned with previous research showing that homeless people sometimes gamble out of desperation, hoping to generate financial gain.
Some of the effects of poverty can also be responsible for certain behaviours and decisions made by an individual at times they experience some disadvantages.
- Author
Daniel Williams
