Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital found evidence that link pathological gambling to an increased likelihood of homelessness.
2014 Gambling addictions are nine times more likely among homeless
Lotteries
Expansion of Casinos Increases the Risk of Children Becoming Addicted Gamblers Later On in Life
This study commissioned by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation shows a link between a parent’s gambling activity and their child’s attitude toward and participation in gambling.
“Youth who report that their parents have gambled in the past year have a significantly higher participation in various gambling activities than youth who report that their parents have not gambled in the past 12 months,” the paper stated.
An addictions psychiatrist Shao-Hua Lu says the expansion of casinos increases the risk of children becoming gamblers later on in life. According to Lu, the likelihood of a person developing a gambling problem as an adult is directly related to their parents’ gambling habits. “It’s no different from how increasing smoking exposure increases subsequent likelihood of smoking addiction.”
Music and sound effects contribute to why you keep losing at slot machines
A research team at the University of Waterloo has done extensive studies of the psychology of gambling including the manipulation of music and sound effects to create the sensation that a user won even though they actually lost their money on the spin.
New Ohio Lottery ad promotes the “fun” of scratch tickets
A recent $4.3 million ad campaign from the Ohio Lottery aims to show players how fun and exciting it is to play scratch tickets, even while making no implication as to whether the people in the commercial won anything. Scratch ticket sales in the US totaled $37.5 billion last year, disproportionately from poorer Americans who are playing these instant scratch tickets as a path to wealth. The fact is, even the Lottery realizes that these games are a poor and almost impossible way to achieve wealth, so these ad campaigns are looking to get players to play just for the instantaneous “buzz” or “high” people can get from these games, which, along with their money, is gone in seconds.
Ohio Lottery Trades the Promise of Riches for the Joy of Instant Gratification
The lower your income, the more likely you are to play the Lottery
This article from the Maryland Reporter details why the lower-income communities in Maryland play the Lottery disproportionately. For example, Park Heights, one of Maryland’s poorest neighborhoods with a median income of $35,000, gave the most money to the Lottery in the entire state- a whopping $34 million. A truck driver from Park Heights told the Reporter that, “We play to make some extra money… I want some extra money. We all do.” Lower-income communities disproportionately believe the path to wealth is the Lottery, not responsible saving and spending. However, with every Lottery ticket, as this article explains, residents only fall deeper and deeper into poverty.
Low-income players drive lottery sales as a big source of state revenues
Florida Lottery shuts down more stores after fraud allegations
This article by the Palm Beach Post documents the Lottery’s scramble in Florida to shut down certain stores after a previous investigation by the paper revealed fraud going on between store owners and Lottery players, allowing some players to win an incredible amount of times against all odds. The total of stores that the Lottery has closed down now totals 14 and some of those involved could face criminal charges if these allegations are true.
Florida Lottery suspends sales at 11 more stores after newspaper investigation
Study finds that disadvantaged youth may be more likely to become problem gamblers
This article from The Baltimore Sun summarizes the findings of a new study from Johns Hopkins University that concluded that disadvantaged youth have a higher propensity to become problem gamblers, due in part to their increased level of participation in betting on dice in the streets or betting on sports games, which serves as a gateway to more serious, problem gambling when they are allowed in a casino. These discoveries come on the heels of an increased casino and gambling presence in Maryland, where the study took place.
Disadvantaged urban youth may be more likely to be problem gamblers
Oregon Lottery’s claim about its advertising is false, says Politifact
This article from The Oregonian details the validity of the Oregon Lottery’s claim that they do not show people playing or winning video lottery terminals (VLTs) in their advertising. After combing through all the evidence and reaching out to Lottery officials for clarification, Politifact Oregon has determined that claim to be “false”. This is another example of the Lottery’s questionable advertising practices, and shows that they are often not upfront with their ads.
Politifact: Does the Oregon Lottery show people playing and winning video lottery games
Link found between problem gambling and family violence
A new study by the Problem Gambling Research and Treatment Centre at the University of Melbourne, Australia shows a strong link between problem gambling and familial violence. Fifty-three percent of problem gamblers reported some form of family violence in the past 12 months and Forty-four percent reported victimization in the home. These disturbing numbers show yet another effect of problem gambling, and shows further why more commercialized gambling isn’t a good thing. This HealthCanal study summarizes the study’s findings.
Problem gambling and family violence strongly linked says new study
Lottery winning streak raises questions
The statistics behind winning the Lottery- be it a scratch ticket or a multi-million dollar jackpot- show that it is next to impossible for one person to win more than a handful of times. That’s why Lottery officials are scratching their heads at certain players who have turned in hundreds of winning scratch tickets yearly. Statistically, these people would have to be spending millions and millions of dollars to win this many times, but they aren’t. This has led many to believe that these lucky winners are actually middlemen- used by actual winners to help evade taxes taken out by the Lottery. This Boston Globe article explains how some players seem to have luck that never runs out.