gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

Table 49: Consumer Insolvency Rates (per 1000 adults) in Alberta Economic Regions in Relation to
the Opening of New Casinos or Racing Entertainment Centres (shaded cells).
Lethbridge –
Medicine Hat
Camrose –
Drumheller
Calgary
Banff-Jasper-Rocky
Mountain House
Red Deer
Edmonton
Athabasca –
Grande Prairie-
Peace River
Wood Buffalo-Cold
Lake
1987 1.2 0.7 2.0 1.5 1.1 1.7 1.0 0.9
1988 1.3 0.6 1.8 1.2 1.1 1.6 1.0 1.1
1989 1.5 0.6 1.9 0.9 1.5 1.5 0.8 0.9
1990 2.1 0.8 2.8 1.1 1.9 2.1 1.2 1.8
1991 3.0 1.3 3.9 2.3 2.5 2.9 1.7 2.4
1992 3.1 1.6 4.4 2.5 3.0 2.8 2.0 2.5
1993 2.9 1.4 4.2 2.4 2.2 2.8 1.6 1.9
1994 3.1 1.6 4.3 1.6 2.1 3.3 1.6 2.5
1995 4.0 2.3 5.1 2.3 2.8 4.9 2.5 3.0
1996 4.5 2.6 5.5 3.1 4.3 6.3 3.7 3.9
1997 3.9 2.7 4.8 3.8 4.1 6.8 4.1 4.2
1998 3.7 2.9 3.4 3.4 3.7 5.4 3.7 4.5
1999 3.9 3.9 3.5 4.2 4.1 5.7 4.8 4.5
2000 4.1 4.1 3.6 3.6 3.7 5.6 4.4 3.9
2001 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.5 3.9 5.0 3.3 2.7
2002 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 4.8 4.7 3.9 3.0
2003 4.4 4.4 4.1 3.5 5.1 5.3 4.5 3.5
2004 4.6 4.6 3.8 3.7 5.2 4.8 4.1 3.7
2005 3.9 3.9 3.5 3.2 4.1 4.2 3.1 2.1
2006 3.2 3.2 2.1 2.2 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.3
2007 3.1 3.1 1.9 2.1 3.0 2.5 2.5 1.9
2008 3.8 3.8 2.3 2.5 3.1 2.9 3.0 1.8
2009 5.8 5.8 4.1 4.5 5.5 4.5 5.4 2.4
In summary, it is clear that insolvency/bankruptcy is an occasional consequence of severe
problem gambling (occurring in perhaps 2.7% of Alberta problem gamblers in any given year),
and that a significant portion of insolvencies in Alberta (probably in the range of 10% to 20%)
can be attributed to excessive gambling. This finding is consistent with the reliable association
between the introduction of gambling and subsequent rates of bankruptcy found in most
socioeconomic studies that have examined this issue (Williams, Rehm, & Stevens, 2011).
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