In a first-of-its-kind national study with global implications, researchers have untangled the complex links between problem gambling and lifestyle factors - with some surprising results.
In a first-of-its-kind national study with global implications, researchers have untangled the complex links between problem gambling and lifestyle factors - with some surprising results.
When does gambling turn into something more dangerous?
In a first-of-its-kind national study with global implications, researchers have untangled the complex links between problem gambling and lifestyle factors - with some surprising results.
An estimated two-thirds of Kiwis indulge in a spot of gambling each year, but for around 4.5 per cent of people, it’s a lot more serious than just buying the odd Lotto ticket.
Research has linked gambling addiction to serious mental health risks - but also family violence and crime, with one study suggesting it was a driving factor in some 10,000 Kiwis annually breaking the law.
But less has been known about how certain changes in people’s lives relate to the risks they take in their gambling, said Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Associate Professor Maria Bellringer.
With four years of data collected as part of the New Zealand National Gambling Study, Bellringer’s team used a modelling approach to tease out just when those changes happened.
Associate Professor Maria Bellringer, a gambling researcher at Auckland University of Technology.
In line with studies overseas, they found clear links between riskier gambling and smoking, drug use and alcohol - but sometimes not in the ways which might be expected.
For instance, continuing to drink hazardous amounts of booze was linked with a higher likelihood of starting gambling - yet so was stopping dangerous alcohol consumption.
Continuing to smoke tobacco or cannabis over time was also associated with an increased likelihood of moving into risky gambling.
When they looked at other factors, they found people living in deprivation, or who’d experienced major life events - like moving between homes, a natural disaster or the death of a loved one - were similarly at risk.
“Possibly the most unexpected finding was that people who stopped their membership of organised groups - like a sports group, church group or other community groups - were more likely to transition into risky gambling,” Bellringer said.
She noted the study couldn’t identify cause and effect - meaning it was still unclear whether those lifestyle factors were moving people into dangerous gambling, or the other way around.
Nonetheless, she said the findings highlighted the need to provide the right support and treatment for people as their gambling changed over time.
Problem Gambling Foundation advocacy and public health director Andree Froude said the study’s biggest takeaway was the importance of health and social services screening for gambling.
“It’s really important to include gambling in the conversation, whether it be with a GP or other health service,” Froude said.
“For example, someone may present to their GP with anxiety or depression which could be caused by harmful gambling - but so often gambling isn’t part of the conversation.”
Jamie Morton is a specialist in science and environmental reporting. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about everything from conservation and climate change to natural hazards and new technology.
