Within the US, it has been discovered that beyond the age of 21, problems concerning gambling are actually worse than those surrounding alcohol. According to research carried out by the University of Buffalo’s Research Institute, less attention is being given to this problem as it hasn’t been regarded as a proper issue.
The Research
Earlier in March, the Journal of Gambling Studies made public the major differences between what they’ve found out and current thoughts on this matter. Previous studies have concluded that the problem is much larger for teenagers than older people. It’s even been shown to be an uncommon problem, this being backed up by the National Council on Problem Gambling.
John Welte, a major player in the research into this issue, and colleagues conducted these two major surveys into the use of alcohol and gambling. The initial survey took place between 1999 and 2000. This was a telephone survey which included 2631 adults, aged 21 years old and up, taken from 4036 households throughout the US. Then, between 2005 and 2007, a second survey was conducted. This involved 2274 youths, aged between 14 and 21 years old, taken from 4467 households throughout the US. They wanted to ascertain the differences between these two age groups. The questions asked included how much an individual drank, what kind of alcohol they consumed, how much gambling they were involved in, and what kind of gambling this was.
The Results
The results were that gambling in general, gambling carried out on a regular basis, and major problems with gambling worsened as an individual progressed through their teenage years. The worst spell was between 20 and 30 years old. Then, by the time most of them had reached 70 years old, these issues had been dispelled.
It was also discovered that for men gambling issues are much worse. In fact, for males it was 28 percent and for females 13 percent, an amount less than half. For men, the issues are greater during the later teen years whereas for women the main problems are more apparent later on in their lives. In terms of race, it was discovered that white people are more likely to get into gambling as compared to black or Asian people. In terms of gambling on a regular basis, however, it’s higher within black and native American communities. In addition, as an individual’s socioeconomic status (SES) increases, gambling becomes more common. Since 2004, it’s been estimated that many people within a lower SES range see this as a major way in which to make money.
Apparently, no other research comparable to this has ever taken place. This is the first time that a real comparison between gambling and alcohol has been carried out. Using these results, it’s been concluded that real action should be taken to both intervene and prevent gambling problems during this critical time of life.