Seniors and Gambling

The majority of New York’s older adults gamble as a form of recreation and entertainment. These gambling activities include casinos, bingo, cards, horse racing, raffles, sweepstakes and lottery games.

Inherent in this population are loneliness, boredom, bereavement and fixed incomes. For some, compulsive gambling becomes a way of dealing with these problems. As compulsive gambling increases it can interfere with the goals that one may have planned for the "Golden Years".

•	Mood swings based on wins/losses
•	Neglecting responsibilities/health in order to gamble
•	Impatience towards loved ones when they interfere with gambling activities
•	Willing to eat/spend less in order to gamble
•	Gambling with household, medical and utility funds
•	Tapping into retirement funds/insurance policies in order to finance gambling
•	Fantasizing about big wins that will retrieve past losses for you.

If any of these warning signs apply to yourself or a loved one, you may have a problem that requires further assessment and intervention.

Four Question Screening Tool
Seniors and Gambling
Teens/Youth Gambling