Responsible Gambling Strategy for Older Queenslanders, 2006

The 'Responsible Gambling Strategy for Older Queenslanders' study was designed to investigate the experiences and attitudes of Queenslanders over the age of 60 who participate in gambling. Specifically, this study has focused on a cohort of people who use electronic gaming machines (EGMs). It was anticipated that garnering information into the experiences and practices of older people who play EGMs would allow for insight into the circumstances that may encourage problem gambling behaviour. Respondents were presented with a range of leisure activities (including gambling) and were asked how often they participated in each. Respondents were also asked how they budgeted for gambling and how much on average they would spend on EGMs in a week. Of particular focus was the issue of problematic gambling: respondents were asked what they thought either increased or decreased their sense of control over their gambling activities. They were also asked whether they believed themselves, their friends or relatives to be at risk of becoming a problematic gambler; and if so whether they had sort help. Satisfaction with support services was examined, along with respondents' preferred way of engaging with support services. Background variables cover gender, marital status, employment status, highest level of education achieved, gross annual personal income and gross annual household income.