Gambling has a strong negative social impact on families, going well beyond problem gamblers themselves, according to a new report.
Released by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC), the report aims to shine a light on the negative effects of gambling on the families of Canadian problem gamblers.
Titled “Government Gambling and Broken Families: How problem gambling affects families,” the report comes on the heels of a decision by British Columbia to expand online gambling, with a similar move pending in Ontario.
In July, B.C. became the first jurisdiction in North America to launch a state-sanctioned gambling website. Since then, Quebec and the Maritime provinces have followed suit, reversing previous policy.
“Governments think they are increasing their revenue; at the same time, they may find they must spend more money on social programs to combat the ill effects of problem gambling,” says lead researcher Derek Miedema.
IMFC is calling for the government to remove itself from the gambling business and halt gaming expansion.
“If the motivation is to increase profits, and that’s why governments are expanding their jurisdiction, then their attempts to also curb problem gambling will fall flat,” says Miedema.
While problem gamblers experience higher rates of stress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, the addiction also takes a high toll on the problem gambler’s family.
A Norway study cited in the report found that families with a problem gambler experience a conflict rate more than 50 times higher than the general population. Other studies indicate higher incidents of domestic assault and significant negative effects on children.
Based on figures from an Australian study, the report estimates that problem gambling in Canada directly affects 4.1 to 8.28 million people, representing between 12 and 25 percent of the population.
On average, low income households spend more than twice as much as high income households as a percentage of their income, the report found, meaning that “gambling profits are disproportionately drawn from the poor, which lends credence to the idea that government-run gambling is, in effect, a tax on the poor.”
According to Statistics Canada, in 2008 gambling brought in over $13.7 billion for provincial governments across the country, a huge increase since 1992 when net revenues were $2.73 billion.
Report recommendations include removing responsible gaming initiatives from provincial gaming authorities, whose aim it is to maximize gambling profits, and halting the expansion of gambling, including online gambling.
Released by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC), the report aims to shine a light on the negative effects of gambling on the families of Canadian problem gamblers.
Titled “Government Gambling and Broken Families: How problem gambling affects families,” the report comes on the heels of a decision by British Columbia to expand online gambling, with a similar move pending in Ontario.
In July, B.C. became the first jurisdiction in North America to launch a state-sanctioned gambling website. Since then, Quebec and the Maritime provinces have followed suit, reversing previous policy.
“Governments think they are increasing their revenue; at the same time, they may find they must spend more money on social programs to combat the ill effects of problem gambling,” says lead researcher Derek Miedema.
IMFC is calling for the government to remove itself from the gambling business and halt gaming expansion.
“If the motivation is to increase profits, and that’s why governments are expanding their jurisdiction, then their attempts to also curb problem gambling will fall flat,” says Miedema.
While problem gamblers experience higher rates of stress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, the addiction also takes a high toll on the problem gambler’s family.
A Norway study cited in the report found that families with a problem gambler experience a conflict rate more than 50 times higher than the general population. Other studies indicate higher incidents of domestic assault and significant negative effects on children.
Based on figures from an Australian study, the report estimates that problem gambling in Canada directly affects 4.1 to 8.28 million people, representing between 12 and 25 percent of the population.
On average, low income households spend more than twice as much as high income households as a percentage of their income, the report found, meaning that “gambling profits are disproportionately drawn from the poor, which lends credence to the idea that government-run gambling is, in effect, a tax on the poor.”
According to Statistics Canada, in 2008 gambling brought in over $13.7 billion for provincial governments across the country, a huge increase since 1992 when net revenues were $2.73 billion.
Report recommendations include removing responsible gaming initiatives from provincial gaming authorities, whose aim it is to maximize gambling profits, and halting the expansion of gambling, including online gambling.
