Prevalence of gambling disorder and its correlates among homeless men in Osaka city, Japan

Abstract

Internationally, the prevalence of gambling disorder has been reported to be higher among homeless people than the general population; however, little is known about the factors associated with gambling disorder in this population. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of gambling disorder and its associated factors among homeless men using shelters in Osaka City. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 30 to 2018 to 4 January 2019, using the 2017 Japanese National Survey of Gambling (JNSG) questionnaire, supplemented with questions about homeless experiences, drinking, and smoking. Using the South Oaks Gambling Screen, the presence of gambling disorder was determined by a score ≥ 5 out of 20. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to explore factors associated with lifetime gambling disorder. Lifetime and past-year prevalence of gambling disorder among 103 participants was 43.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 34.5–53.3) and 3.9% (95% CI: 1.5–9.6), respectively, which are higher than the 6.7% and 1.5% found among men in the 2017 JNSG. Reasons reported for currently gambling less were primarily financial. Factors associated with lifetime GD included “more than 20 years since the first incidence of homelessness” (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 4.97, 95% CI: 1.50–16.45) and “more than five incidences of homelessness” (AOR: 4.51, 95% CI: 1.06–19.26). When homeless individuals with gambling disorder try to rebuild and stabilize their lives, the presence or resurgence of gambling disorder may hinder the process and pose a risk of recurring homelessness. Comprehensive support services for homeless individuals with gambling disorder are required. (250 words)

Effect of pachinko parlour openings and closings on neighbourhood income-generating crimes in Japan: 6.5 years of observations

“…As the granularity of the present data involved individual crime cases, longitude/latitude, and date units, they contained rich information on the association between crime rates and gambling venues [ 6 , 8 ]. Furthermore, nationwide datasets of pachinko parlours in Japan are expected to enrich EGM research data [ 11 , 37 , 38 ].…”

“…Given the context of a shrinking market [ 12 , 34 , 36 ], the environment in which pachinko parlours close every year is suitable for examining trends in the rate of income-generating crimes before and after their closure. Furthermore, Japan has a large number of people with gambling disorders [ 37 ] and gambling-related harm [ 38 ]. In particular, Japanese men living in areas with pachinko parlours located within 1.5 km of their houses are highly likely to develop gambling disorders [ 9 ].…”

Secrecy, self-blame and risks for social exclusion—Family members’ experiences of gambling problems in Japan

“…Excessive gambling affects various domains of the lives of gamblers, their family members and the general public, producing harm such as multiple debts, job loss, marital conflict, domestic violence, child abuse, poor health, homelessness, attempted suicide, and crime (1)(2)(3). Negatively affected people include spouses, parents and children who never had any personal gambling experiences (4)(5)(6) but are devastated by the gambling of their loved ones.…”