Neighbourhood contexts and opportunities for youth gambling in Montréal, Québec

Abstract

Gambling has become an increasingly accessible and acceptable form of entertainment in North America and worldwide in recent decades. Legalized gambling activities in Canada generate annual governmental revenues that totalled 12.9$ billion dollars in 2005 and estimates indicate that over 70 percent of the adult population and nearly as many young people participate in some form of gambling in a given year. Beyond a source of entertainment and governmental revenue, gambling is an emerging public health issue at the centre of numerous social and health costs including suicide, depression, criminal and delinquent behaviour, domestic violence, family dysfunction, financial troubles, and increased risk of developing multiple addictions.Video lottery terminals (VLTs) are among the most popular and controversial gambling activities in Quebec and Canada. The increased availability and popularity of gambling activities like VLTs is cause for concern given high rates of gambling among vulnerable youth populations and what is known about the links between excessive gambling and serious social and health consequences. Gambling research has traditionally focused on identifying individual factors that influence gambling behaviours, like personal decision-making, impulsivity and self-control.This dissertation employs conceptual themes from health geography and population health to frame gambling as a behaviour best understood through a consideration of both individual characteristics and characteristics of surrounding social and physical environments. A mixed methods approach was adopted to explore individual and environmental factors of neighbourhoods that influence youth VLT gambling. Four research objectives were addressed: 1) to describe the socio-spatial distribution of gambling opportunities surrounding high schools in Montreal; 2) to model VLT use by youth in Montreal as a function of individual and social contextual characteristics (including VLT accessibility); 3) to develop an in-depth understanding of why youth gamble; and 4) to develop an understanding of the social norms that are supportive of youth gambling.Assessment of the distribution of VLT gambling opportunities (n=400) high school locations (n=305) and neighbourhood socio-economic conditions within the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area revealed VLT opportunities were more abundant in economically disadvantaged and inner-city school neighbourhoods. A student survey (n=2672) in Montreal and geographic data of VLT locations and socio-economic conditions of school neighbourhoods demonstrated that the majority (60%) of youth reported gambling in the past year and nearly one tenth reported gambling weekly. Twelve percent of students reported playing VLTs and one in three students reported VLT use by friends. Students most often reported gambling for fun, money, entertainment and excitement. Logistic regression models of VLT use showed male sex, engaging in other risky behaviours (particularly marijuana use), II attendance at schools where gambling is prev...