Assessment of the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling

1. Assessment of the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling Sally Casswell En Li Lin Ru Quan You Brian Easton

2. This research was funded by the Ministry of Health Principal Investigators: Professor Sally Casswell En-Yi (Judy) Lin Ru Quan (Ryan) You Brian Easton Professor Jurgen Rehm Lorna Dyall (Ngati Maniapoto), Lanuola Asiasiga and En-Yi Lin served as cultural advisors to the project

3. Social and economic impacts • Systematic analysis • Reliant on available data

4. General population survey • Representative sample and allowing for disaggregation by age groups, gender and by ethnic groups (Maori; Pacific; Chinese and Korean; and European). • Gambling participation measured independently of response to gambling • Gambling participation disaggregated by mode and venue • Negative and positive impacts measured • Coverage of quality of life in number of selected domains • Own and Associates impacts measured • Cross-sectional with complementary measures of impacts included • Replicable methodology

5. Methodology • CATI survey of stratified sample of NZ residents and over samples of ethnic minorities • Data collected May – November 2007 • 15 – 80 years • Instrument based on extensive qualitative research and piloting. Translated into Chinese and Korean. • Overall response rate 63%

6. Participation in gambling • 62% participation in some form of gambling in past 12 months (raffles/casino evenings not listed) • 54% bought lottery products in past 12 months • 6% race track; 8% TAB; • 8% pokies in casino; 8% pokies in bars; 4% pokies in clubs; • 4%Poker/cards in homes • Less than 1% internet, texting

7. Categorisation of gambling by time and money • Loss to income ratio (lost more than 5% of income) = 8% • Time spent gambling (more than 3 hours per week) = 5% • Higher participation ( more than 3 hours per week, loss to income ratio more than 5%) = 3.2%

8. Figure 4: Percentage of general population (weighted) at each gambling level

9. Impacts of gambling loss/income ratio • physical health negative • mental well being negative • relationships with family and friends negative • feelings about self negative • overall quality of life negative • overall satisfaction with life negative • financial situation no impact • housing situation no impact • material standard of living negative • work performance no impact • study/work training performance negative • care giving of children no impact • care giving of elderly no impact

10. Longer time on race track • physical health positive • mental well being no impact • relationships with family and friends no impact • feelings about self positive • overall quality of life no impact • overall satisfaction with life positive • financial situation positive • housing situation positive • material standard of living positive • work performance no impact • study/work training performance no impact • care giving of children no impact • care giving elderly no impact

11. Longer time on casino tables • physical health negative • mental well being negative • relationships with family and friends no impact • feelings about self no impact • overall quality of life negative • overall satisfaction with life no impact • financial situation no impact • housing situation no impact • material standard of living no impact • work performance negative • study/work training performance no impact • care giving of children no impact • care giving elderly no impact

12. Longer time spent playing EGMs in clubs • physical health negative • mental well being no impact • relationships with family and friends no impact • feelings about self no impact • overall quality of life no impact • overall satisfaction with life no impact • financial situation no impact • housing situation no impact • material standard of living no impact • work performance no impact • study/work training performance no impact • care giving of children no impact • care giving elderly no impact

13. Longer time spent playing EGMs in casino • physical health negative • mental well being negative • relationships with family and friends negative • feelings about self negative • overall quality of life negative • overall satisfaction with life negative • financial situation no impact • housing situation positive • material standard of living positive • work performance no impact • study/work training performance no impact • care giving of children no impact • care giving elderly no impact

14. Longer time playing EGMs in bars • physical health negative • mental well being negative • relationships with family and friends negative • feelings about self negative • overall quality of life negative • overall satisfaction with life negative • financial situation no impact • housing situation no impact • material standard of living no impact • work performance no impact • study/work training performance no impact • care giving of children negative • care giving elderly no impact

15. Time spent playing EGMs in different venues

17. Impacts of other people’s gambling • About 12% had at least one person in their lives whom they considered to have been ‘fairly heavy gamblers’ • They reported poorer physical health, poorer mental well being and lower life satisfaction • They were also more likely to have been involved in illegal activities

18. Satisfaction with Life: estimated effects of three counterfactuals

19. Conclusions • Loss to income ratio good predictor on reduced quality of life in a number of life domains • Time spent gambling in different modes/venues showed impact of pokies, especially in bars. • Other modes of gambling more variable. • The study revealed significant associations between exposure to heavy gamblers and physical and mental health and satisfaction with life. • The study provided useful data to contribute to estimates of the social costs of gambling