gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

This is consistent with the general stabilization (and/or decrease) of problem gambling
prevalence rates that have occurred in many western jurisdictions since about 2001 or 2002
(AGRI, 2011). It is also consistent with the ‘adaptation’ hypothesis (LaPlante & Shaffer, 2007;
Shaffer et al., 2004) that states that most harms associated with gambling occur after it is first
introduced because the population has little experience/knowledge about the product, and its
novelty encourages high rates of participation. However, with time, participation rates go
down because the novelty has worn off, and the population’s familiarity with the product (and
potentially adverse experience) helps inoculate them from further harm.
There are three important caveats to the above points. First, problem gambling affects more
than just the problem gambler. These Alberta population surveys have established that about
half of problem gamblers are currently married or living common-law. Many also have
children. The 2007 national survey is the only that investigated this latter issue, where it was
found that 76% of problem gamblers reported having children (average number = 3.1). Thus, it
is reasonable to assume that the percentage of people potentially impacted by problem
gambling is actually 3 or 4 times the general prevalence rate (Kalischuk et al., 2006; Shaw et al.,
2007). There is also an important inter-generational impact, as children of problem gamblers
are at high risk for developing problem gambling themselves (Kalischuk et al., 2006; Shaw et al.,
2007).
The second caveat is that Table 39 reports past-year prevalence of problem gambling. Evidence
indicates that while the severest forms of problem gambling tend to be relatively stable, less
severe forms are not (e.g., Abbott et al., 1999; DeFuentes-Merillas et al., 2004; Slutske, Jackson,
& Sher, 2003; Wiebe, Cox, Falkowski-Ham, 2003; Wiebe, Single, Falkowski-Ham, 2003). Thus, a
stable prevalence rate of problem gambling over an extended number of years hides the fact
that a significant number of new problem gamblers have been created each year to replace an
equivalent number of problem gamblers who have remitted. Thus, over time, the harm of
gambling has affected a larger and larger percentage of the general population, steadily
increasing lifetime rates of problem gambling within Alberta (this may be why overall attitudes
toward gambling have become increasingly negative over time; see Attitude Section).
The third point is that there is some evidence that rates may have increased in 2009 relative to
the past two years (this same trend was seen in the online panel data from 2008 to 2009).
However, it is also important to note that this trend is not statistically significant (i.e., using the
PPGM problem/pathological gambling rate, a Chi Square (1df) probability value of .097 was
obtained).
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