News Release Archive
NEWS RELEASE (CNS708) -->> HEALTH--PROBLEM GAMBLING STUDY PREPARED FOR HEALTH HEALTH--PROBLEM GAMBLING STUDY PREPARED FOR HEALTH ----------------------------------------------------------------- A report on the prevalence of problem gambling in Nova Scotia has been prepared for the Department of Health. Results of the report were referred to recently by the Nova Scotia Gaming Control Commission in its annual report. The 1996 Prevalence Study on Problem Gambling in Nova Scotia follows up on a 1993 report that examined, for the first time, the prevalence rate of problem gambling in the province. In the report, researchers looked at the current and lifetime rates of problem gambling. The current rate is a measure of the number of people who are problem gamblers within the last year. The lifetime rate is a measure of the number of people who have had a problem at some time in their life. As defined in the report, gambling includes scratch tickets, lotteries, bingo, charity raffles, video lottery terminals (outside casinos), video slot machines (casinos), card games for money (with friends, at casinos and other), dice and roulette, sports pools, Proline-type betting, horse racing, Internet wagering and high risk stocks. Instant win tickets, charity raffles, bingo, 6-49 type lotteries and video gaming involved more Nova Scotian gamblers than other activities. Of those activities, 6-49 type lotteries involved the most people on a regular basis (34 per cent wager or bet at least once a week; among those who play, 41 per cent become regular players). The 1996 report is based on a representative sample of the general, adult population of the province. The data was collected in a random telephone survey (conducted in the spring of 1996) of 801 men and women from the four health regions, using standard and accepted methodology. The sample was made up of 51 per cent men and 49 per cent women. There is a plus or minus two to three per cent margin of error. In the report, the term problem gambler is used for patterns of gambling behaviour that compromise, disrupt or damage one's personal, family and work life. Some findings of the report: * Gambling rates are comparable across the country as 96 per cent of Nova Scotians have gambled at some point in their lives, compared to 93 per cent of Albertans (reported in 1995) and 92 per cent of New Brunswickers (reported in 1996). * 52 per cent of current gamblers are occasional (have played in the past year) and 43 per cent are regular (play once a week or more). * Most Nova Scotians will never develop a problem with gambling. * 3.9 per cent of adult Nova Scotians experienced problem gambling in the past year (1.1 per cent are considered pathological gamblers, with the remaining 2.8 per cent exhibiting less severe problems). * At some point in their lives, 5.5 per cent of adults have experienced problems with gambling. The measure has a margin of error of plus or minus of two to three per cent. The 1993 study showed 4.8 per cent of adult Nova Scotians reported experiencing a gambling problem at some point in their life, with a similar margin of error. The overall change between the two studies is within the margin of error for the method used to collect the data. * 73 per cent of those sampled reported their largest wager as $25 or less. * 21 per cent of the sample report playing video lottery terminals in the last year, with three per cent of that number playing weekly. * Men are more likely to be problem gamblers than women. * Problem gamblers are more likely to be young men, with a high school diploma or less, who began gaming activity at about age 24-25, more likely through card games with friends. * Problem gamblers are more likely to participate in more than one wagering activity weekly. * Women who experience problems with gambling tend to have a higher educational level (high school or above), but lower income. Gambling rates in Nova Scotia are consistent with rates across Canada in provinces that have used the same measure. At present, Nova Scotia is leading a national initiative to develop even better methods of measuring problem gambling, and to develop consistency in provincial measures. -30- Contact: Lori MacLean 902-424-5025 trp Oct. 24, 1996 - 1:50 p.m.