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

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

Social and economic impacts Systematic analysis Reliant on available data

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

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

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

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%

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

Impacts of gambling loss/income ratio physical healthnegative mental well beingnegative relationships with family and friendsnegative feelings about selfnegative overall quality of lifenegative overall satisfaction with lifenegative financial situationno impact housing situationno impact material standard of livingnegative work performanceno impact study/work training performancenegative care giving of childrenno impact care giving of elderlyno impact

Longer time on race track physical healthpositive mental well beingno impact relationships with family and friendsno impact feelings about selfpositive overall quality of lifeno impact overall satisfaction with lifepositive financial situationpositive housing situationpositive material standard of livingpositive work performanceno impact study/work training performanceno impact care giving of childrenno impact care giving elderlyno impact

Longer time on casino tables physical healthnegative mental well beingnegative relationships with family and friendsno impact feelings about selfno impact overall quality of lifenegative overall satisfaction with lifeno impact financial situationno impact housing situationno impact material standard of livingno impact work performancenegative study/work training performanceno impact care giving of childrenno impact care giving elderlyno impact

Longer time spent playing EGMs in clubs physical healthnegative mental well beingno impact relationships with family and friendsno impact feelings about selfno impact overall quality of lifeno impact overall satisfaction with lifeno impact financial situationno impact housing situationno impact material standard of livingno impact work performanceno impact study/work training performanceno impact care giving of childrenno impact care giving elderlyno impact

Longer time spent playing EGMs in casino physical healthnegative mental well beingnegative relationships with family and friendsnegative feelings about selfnegative overall quality of lifenegative overall satisfaction with lifenegative financial situationno impact housing situationpositive material standard of livingpositive work performanceno impact study/work training performanceno impact care giving of childrenno impact care giving elderlyno impact

Longer time playing EGMs in bars physical healthnegative mental well beingnegative relationships with family and friendsnegative feelings about selfnegative overall quality of lifenegative overall satisfaction with lifenegative financial situationno impact housing situationno impact material standard of livingno impact work performanceno impact study/work training performanceno impact care giving of childrennegative care giving elderlyno impact

Time spent playing EGMs in different venues

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

Satisfaction with Life: estimated effects of three counterfactuals

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