People who experience harmful gambling are more likely to have experienced trauma in childhood.37

Goghari et al. (2020). A family study of trauma and coping strategies in gambling disorder. Journal of Gambling Studies, 36, 767-782. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10899-020-09963-0 

Horak et al. (2021). Gambling disorder and childhood trauma: A complex association. Journal of Gambling Studies, 27(2), 515-528. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33006105/ 

Lane et al. (2016). Child maltreatment and problem gambling: A systematic review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 58, 24-38. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/26476945/Child_maltreatment_and_problem_gambling_A_systematic_review?email_work_card=title

Children who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, psychological harm or neglect are at higher risk of experiencing gambling harm later in their life.

People may use gambling activities to cope with emotional distress from trauma. Hover over each element to find out more:

Gambling and ACEs

A way of coping

Trauma contributes to emotional vulnerability. This may lead to gambling as a coping mechanism, or as a mood enhancer.

Isolation

Trauma may lead people to withdraw or experience social isolation. Gambling may provide a leisure activity where people feel they belong and are part of a community.

Dissociation

People who have experienced trauma are more likely to experience negative emotions and psychological distress. Gambling products that are repetitive and fast-paced such as slots can produce a sense of dissociation or ‘flow’ which may be used as an escape from negative emotions. 

Impulsivity

Experience of trauma can mean a child is more likely to develop impulsivity, which then extends into adulthood and feeds into the experience of gambling harm.

False sense of control

Gambling venues may offer a sense of comfort and safety for people experiencing instability or uncertainty. Similarly, online products may feel reliable as they are ‘always there’ and accessible 24/7, no matter what is going on in your life. 

Young people are also vulnerable to harm as a result of a parent or caregiver's gambling. Children of parents or caregivers experiencing harmful gambling are more likely to experience:

  • Poor mental health
  • Family stress or instability
  • Family violence
  • Gambling harm later in life

People who are experiencing harmful gambling are more likely to perpetrate violence towards their children and other family members, and more likely to experience family violence victimisation themselves.38

Dowling et al. (2019). Problem gambling and family violence: Factors associated with family violence victimization and perpetration in treatment-seeking gamblers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(15-16), 7645-7669. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30894040/ 

Dowling et al. (2018). Problem gambling and family violence: Findings from a population-representative survey. Journal of Behavioural Addictions, 7(3), 806-813. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30238783/ A large-scale study found that people who gamble at even a ‘moderate risk‘ level are 2.7 times more likely to experience family violence and 2.6 times more likely to perpetrate family violence.

This may be because adults experiencing gambling harm are more likely to:38

Dowling et al. (2014). Problem gambling and intimate partner violence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17(1), 43-61. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25477014/ 

Lane et al. (2016). Child maltreatment and problem gambling: A systematic review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 58, 24-38. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/26476945/Child_maltreatment_and_problem_gambling_A_systematic_review?email_work_card=title

  1. Experience problems with emotion regulation
  2. Experience problems with impulse control
  3. Use substances

This cluster of experiences may make it harder for parents to provide a safe and consistent environment for children.

People who experience trauma as adults are also more likely to experience gambling harms.

Click on the boxes below for further information.

Veterans and trauma-related conditions

People who were members of armed forces are more likely to experience harmful gambling than civilian populations.39Gambling Problems in US Military Veterans | SpringerLink; Full article: Gambling problems among United Kingdom armed forces veterans: Associations with gambling motivation and posttraumatic stress disorder (tandfonline.com); Manuscript.pdf (uel.ac.uk) Veterans experiencing trauma-related conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are even more likely to experience harmful gambling.

Some studies have found that specific traumatic life events, such as witnessing someone badly injured or killed, are associated with harmful gambling.40Gambling Disorder in Veterans: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Future Research (mdproblemgambling.com); Manuscript.pdf (uel.ac.uk)

Loneliness and grief

Older adults who have lost a partner or who live alone are more likely to experience harmful gambling.41Manuscript.pdf (uel.ac.uk); Pathways to Late-Life Problematic Gambling in Seniors: A Grounded Theory Approach | The Gerontologist | Oxford Academic (oup.com) People who report feeling lonely or having a smaller and less satisfying social network are also more likely to experience harm.

Gendered violence and experience of abuse
 

Women experiencing harm from their own gambling are more likely to have experienced abuse, or to have a violent partner.42Manuscript.pdf (uel.ac.uk)  We will explore gendered experiences of homelessness and gambling further in Section 6.

People in prison

People in prison are significantly more likely to be experiencing difficulties with their gambling than the general population.43Prevalence of Gambling Disorder Among Prisoners: A Systematic Review - James Banks, Jaime Waters, Catrin Andersson, Victoria Olive, 2020 (sagepub.com) Harm from gambling ”often remains undetected and undiagnosed,”44How to Support Prison Workers’ Perceived Readiness to Identify and Respond to Possible Gambling Problems: a Pilot Study from Two Finnish Prisons | SpringerLink and is less likely to be assessed in prison settings than substance use or other mental health conditions.45Brooks, G., & Blaszczynski, A. (2011). Judicial decisions on cases involving problem gambling and crime in England and Wales. International Gambling Studies, 11(01), 81–92. Available at: 3973-Article Text-5062-1-10-20170801.pdf (cdspress.ca)

Find out more about gambling and the criminal justice system here:

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