Elderly Gambling Could Be Good or Bad

Eleanor Biferi, 82, plays a nickel slot in the House of Blues at the Showboat Casino. She makes the bus trip to Atlantic City every other day or so, she says. The Atlantic City casinos all maintain responsible-gambling programs, say New Jersey's regulators. But their efforts have limitations.

A Coach USA bus rolls along the Atlantic City Expressway, its route seven days a week.

In the back row, Leroy Taweel, 75, carries a small lunch and the medical kit in the black leather pouch he keeps with him at all times for his insulin shots. As a diabetic, he does not see as well as he used to and does not drive much, especially long distances.

"Boredom kills," the Northeast Philadelphia resident says, explaining his three-times-a-week journeys to Atlantic City's casinos, typically for poker. "I'll be inactive long enough when they plant me."

Casino gambling helps fill the long days for many older adults, and casinos have embraced this clientele. But when their gambling becomes a problem, the results can be disastrous.

"It is harder for them to seek help and nearly impossible to return to the work force," said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. "Once they blow that retirement nest egg, that's it."

The desire to fill time is just one factor that makes older adults particularly vulnerable. Often, they have disposable income. Some are bored or depressed, their children having grown, perhaps a spouse having died. For many, the sedentary nature of gambling, the sitting behind a slot machine, is something they can still do for any length of time.

And for most elderly gambling really is not a problem and it plays the role of entertainment for them, which is a very important aspect of a happy existence.

July 13, 2006
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!