Female problem internet gambling Presentation based on the findings of our qualitative study funded

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Female problem internet gamblingPresentati
on based on the findings of our qualitative study
(funded by RIGT) Researchers Roslyn Corney
and Jan DavisR.H.Corney_at_greenwich.ac.uk
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Gender differences

• Most research into gambling has focused on men
• Evidence of gender differences on -
• types of gambling chosen (Hraba Lee, 1996 Hing
  Breen, 2001 Wardle et al, 2007)
• motivation to gamble (Trevorrow Morre, 1998)
• coping mechanisms (Getty et al, 2000)
• progression into problem gambling (Potenza et
  al., 2001 Tavares, Zilberman, Beites, Gentil,
  2001 Shaffer, LaBrie, LaPlante, Kidman,2002)
• treatment needs (Trevorrow Morre, 1998
  OConnor et al., 2000 Crisp et al.,2000).
• But do these differences occur with internet
  gambling?

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Interview sample/focus

• Interviewed 25 female internet gamblers
• 16 defined using the CPGI as problem gamblers
  (9-26)
• 9 were frequent (mostly daily) but non problem
  gamblers (0-6)
• Interviews focused on
• Gambling history, motivations, degree of control
• Impact on life
• Had they sought help/ what helpful and what not
• Any other views
• All ages- 22-59
• Range of educational level, social class and
  income

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23 telephone interviews -lasting 20 - 85
minutes 2 face to face. All participants given
the choice. Few problem gamblers still currently
gambling
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Do internet problem gamblers come from the same
population as land based problem gamblers?

• All PGs had gambled before using the internet
  but some only occasionally including the lottery
• 6 out of the 16 problem gamblers had experienced
  problems with non internet based gambling
• 10 had not, including 2 who had rarely gambled
  before
• I played the bingo for yearsthat wasnt
  serious. There is a difference between social
  gambling and gambling. If you go to bingo and go
  with 20 and come home with 5 changeNatalie
  (PG)
• Never, as I say the lottery, I think I have put
  it on once in my life, like my partner would put
  on maybe a 1 or 2 on a Saturday but I would
  never, I have never been in a betting shop and
  things like that. Karen (PG)

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Starting on the internetTwo main routes-
friends/family or advertising

• I think it was just watchingI think my son used
  to do it and then my husband did it, so I thought
  Teach me how to do this and then I got
  interested. Sylvia (FG)
• I have never dabbled in my life before, thats
  right and I just seen it one day in the XXX
  Newspaper and they had a promotion like, say if
  you put 10 on they would double your money. I
  dont know what even made me do it because I had
  never done that before and thats how it kind of
  started. It wasnt a problem to begin with and
  then obviously it did become a problembefore I
  did this I never, I didnt even know they did
  online gambling. Never even thought of this, it
  never entered my head, I just honestly dont know
  what made me do ita great big splash
  advertbingo online, it said that say you put a
  100 on it they would have matched it, the very
  first time you went on it Karen (PG)
• Also three had started since the smoking ban

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Differences between PG and FG

• Frequent gamblers
• Sense of control
• Gambling for fun, entertainment, company
• Small stakes, not chasing losses, not expecting
  to win/ planning/ routines/ set limits
• Pleasure of developing a skill/ self esteem
• Problem gamblers
• Faulty cognitions/ belief that they will win/
  taken in by bonuses/ points
• Chasing losses/ playing to win back debts
• More problems, gambling to escape, provides
  temporary relief,
• Boredom, loneliness, social isolation (but
  possibly this predicts internet use)

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Quotes from frequent gamblers

• It was always very much a game, it's almost like
  you pay for the enjoyment of playing it was
  never to get rich if you know what I mean. I
  think it's what causes people problems in
  gambling, when they think that it's going to lead
  them to get richit was never about the money.
  The money is a bonus if you are lucky enough to
  win, but it was always seen as luck, it was never
  This could be a real way out, it could lead to
  something. Anne (FG)
• I gamble about twice a week, but I always set
  myself a limit before I go online and obviously
  once I have reached that limit, then I normally
  call it a day, unless I have won something and
  then I will carry on for a bit longer. It depends
  how much I actually win. If I only win 10 then
  obviously Ill just keep that, but if I win more
  than that, then I carry on gambling and just hold
  back the 20If I have got over 50, then I will
  hold back the 20 that I have won and continue
  with the day. Millie (FG)

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Pathways to problem gambling

• Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) have suggested
  three pathways
• 1. Those that do not have initial psychosocial
  difficulties or vulnerabilities but gamble
  excessively as a result of poor decision making
  and judgments.
• Probably two women in our study came into this
  category.
• 2. Vulnerable problem gamblers, who are
  predisposed to be susceptible.
• Start gambling to meet psychological needs and
  to obtain emotional relief. Have relatively high
  levels of pre-existing problems.
• Majority of women in our study fit this category
  or are between 1 and 2.
• 3. Antisocial impulsivist problem gamblers.
  Women with major difficulties in a number of
  areas impulsive/other addictions.
• This type of information was not collected in
  our study

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• Example of first category- woman with no
  difficulties in her life- saw her life very
  positively prior to the problem gambling
• work was fine at the time, I had lots going for
  me, I was living in a lovely house, Id got lots
  of friends and I have still got lots of friends,
  I had lots of money in the bank, you know, my
  life was probably at the best stage it had ever
  been at that time. I have thought about it so
  often thinking was there something missing in my
  life? And I really dont think there was, you
  know, I had a really good social life, I was out
  with my friends all the timeYou can't get better
  than that really. I had everything Id ever
  wantedwith other people somethings happened you
  know, their marriage was breaking up or they have
  been made redundant or something like that, and I
  am like Oh yeah, actually, everything was going
  really well. There was no real trigger. Jackie
  (PG)

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Examples of second category I think initially it
was because I was in a very destructive
relationship with my sons father - hesan
alcoholic and our relationship ended quite
quickly after I had my son, but I felt really
sort of tied-down that was where things really
took a turn for me, you know, in the way that I
gambled, that was really where it all changed.
Jenny (PG) about 2 years ago my husband passed
away and um I havent really been able to get
over it he died right in front of mehe had a
heart attack and I watching the ambulance guy
working on him for an hour and you know that is
just something that I just cannot ever get out of
mindevery day it is going through my headAnd I
have been trying to find different obsessions, to
stop me thinking about itso the situation I
ended up with- I done this gambling thing- I was
totally conscious of what I was doing umspending
the money, at the same time I didnt really care
because I didnt want to be here anyway Ruth
(PG) I think it stopped me feeling. It was a
sort of I dont know if Id want to say a limbo
world, but it was. I didnt have to feel the
only thing that was important was you know, the
next hand that was the only thing that was
important. I didnt have to feel. Stephanie (PG)
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Progression into problem gambling

• Womens accounts suggest
• Period of 2-3 months from first gambling to
  problem gambling
• Faster than offline??
• I just thought it would be a bit of funand
  it was like that for the first two or three
  months I would thinkOnce or twice a week and
  usually once at the weekend, I wasnt spending
  any more than I could afford, it was sort of
  10/15 a weekI had a big win off a 20p bet, I
  won a couple of thousand and then it changed into
  Oh, if I bet more, I will win more which I did,
  to the point that I was going on there every day
  when I got home from work and then until I went
  to bed - I was on there all weekendthat was in
  the February, I logged on first in the February
  and by the October all of my savings had
  goneJust under 60,000. Jackie (PG)

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Problem gambling Impact

• Nothing else matters- living to gamble
• Debts range from 3,000 to 100,000
• Relationships- secrecy, lies, stealing, partners
  found wanting but not always, some breakups
• Neglect of partner/ children (esp time) more
  guilt for latter
• Physical health dietary neglect
• Mental health- 4 women made suicide attempts, 6
  more had serious thoughts about it including
  planning
• Self esteem crushed, shame, failure as mother

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Being a mum

• Id begrudge buying my kids a pair of shoes or
  whatever they needed, but it didnt bother me to
  spend the money on the internet and thats my
  most worse regret. Nothing else mattered to me,
  I was taking the hits, it's all I thought about
  24/7 was gambling on the internet. Nicola (PG)
• I want to go back to being the sort of mum I was
  before and it makes me sad to think that I wasted
  time playing that and just not being a good mum
  actually. I havent neglected them food wise or
  anything like that, I still make their dinners
  and their lunches, but there are things that I
  used to be, do as a Mum, like we used to go for
  nice walks, take them to the beach and all these
  things I have just not been interested in
  whatsoever. Karen (PG)

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Suicidal thoughts

• Oh loads of times, loads of times thought about
  suicide. You say to yourself well theres got to
  be a way out, and the only thing that stopped me
  is my children. I mean I tried to take an
  overdose last Christmas I think it was, just
  before Christmas last year, you knowI just felt
  desperate, depressed. Nicola (PG)
• I have attempted suicide a few timesYeah,
  there was no other way out. And then likeI mean
  a police officer found me half deadKatie (PG)
• I wanted to kill myself - I figured I was on the
  second floor in a block of flats, I could quite
  easily jumpJackie (PG)
• I went down the doctors becauseyeah, I just
  said to him, I said I dont want to be alive any
  more and I just kept saying that every minute of
  every day. Ruth (PG)

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Help seeking

• Initial denial- gradual realisation or crisis
  driven
• Difficulty in admitting to partner, friends,
  family and others
• May attend GP or debt agencies and still not
  divulge
• Non specialist agencies (inc counsellors)
  perceived as not knowing how to help or not
  regarding it as a serious problem.
• I went to my GP a couple of months before I
  told anybody and told them that I had beenthat I
  had money problems and told them that some of it
  was through gambling and they put me on
  antidepressants which I took for a week and
  stopped taking them because they made me more
  tired than I was anywayhe never even mentioned
  going to a support group or counselling. .
  Jackie (PG)
• Various experiences of support when problem
  divulged

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Specialist support

• Very skewed sample but -
• GA/ AA very helpful for those who persist (many
  women went once and found they were the only
  woman in the group)
• Specialist services Gordon House helpful
• Gamblers forum helpful supportive
• Many were not able to access appropriate help
  because of location, time commitments

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• Quotes from GA attenders
• I tried on my own and have gone for days, weeks
  um not more than a month and then last year I
  started with GA and with the help of GA and the
  support from friends etc I managed to last about
  5 monthsYou are in a room with other people that
  know exactly how you feelYou hear different
  stories, everybody has got different experiences,
  no two of you are the same um but with what you
  say you know that there are people in there that
  are connecting with what you said and with what
  other people say you can see and hear yourself
  through thatPaula (PG)
• We (women) are in a real minority. I think our
  meetings on average, theres 30 men and one to
  three womenYes it is changing. We do get a lot
  of women turn up but they dont come back. I
  dont know whether thats because it's daunting
  or that maybe they sit and think that maybe it's
  not for them, because it's not for everybody.
  Jackie (PG)

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• External controls- 5 used internet blocks (3
  successfully).
• 2 disconnected internet/computer
• I know that you can put web-blocks on and stuff
  like that, but with everyone you can put on, you
  can take them off too, you know, and I just dont
  want to be put in that situation. Nicola (PG)
• I mean I know that theres blocks and things but
  I have never felt I wanted to make it that
  permanentIt's something thatsort of an old
  friend - an old enemy. It's not something that I
  am ready to give up Jenny (PG)
• I put gamblock on the computer which is the best
  thing I have ever done because I cannot access
  anything at allI cant access itIt's gone,
  everythings gone. The only other computer in
  the house is my sons and I wont touch that.
  But I was reallyyou know, in hindsight I was
  really really pleased that I did thatI put a
  block on the internet. It's a real pain in the
  ass because I work from home...which was one of
  the big problems, I couldnt really get away from
  it...On the internet, and of course if anything
  comes up with gambling it's like Site
  closedLucy (PG)

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Will the internet increase gambling and problem
gambling in women?

• Too early to judge -- but
• Accessible 24/7 through the night
• it's very easy to go online and join ittheres
  no checks or anything, you can go in, you can
  plug in your credit cards, whatever, your debit
  cards and it takes out whatever you ask it to and
  thats it. Nicola (PG)
• I think it was maybe just about access. You
  know, I could play for 24 hours at a time without
  even having to get dressed, without even having
  to go out, it was brilliant it wasAnd theres so
  few controlsIt's just far too easy, you know,
  just to log onto a site. Stephanie (PG)
• I dont think I would have got into the gambling
  side of poker without it actually being onlineI
  think it's because I enjoyed it, because it was
  so easy to do, it was online. it's so immediate
  and it's just always thereAnd the fact that you
  can access it at any time is goodYou can get up
  at two, three in the morning and again, you know,
  any time of the day you can play Rebecca (PG)

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Activity for those at home, including the
vulnerable (family commitments, off sick,
unemployed, agoraphobic) And I am 28 and I have
got two kidsMy husband is a bricklayer, you
know, it's boredomI am sat here and I bored - I
am doing nothing, I am just twiddling my
thumbsand the first thing that will pop into my
mind in the morning will be, yeah, we will have
a bit of thatTracy (PG) I mean you can do it
for company sometimesIt's through boredom.. I
mean I was a lone parent for seven years which
was when the gambling really had an effect on me
because I was very very lonely in many ways.
Jenny (PG) the occasional days I dont go on, I
get bored so I am usually on itI wont go out on
my own. Its very rare - even in the daylight I
dont like going too far on my own. Tessa
(FG)
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• No stigma, can be done in secret
• Women will not go into bookies. Some will -
  obviously you get a percentage of women who will,
  but it'sbeing on the internet isI could hide
  everything. I went three years, three or four
  years just hiding itLucy (PG)
• it's something that you can pick up
  anonymouslyWhen you log on you are anonymous,
  you know, you can have a go at this or that, no
  one knows what you are doingRosemary (FG)

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• Good for the inexperienced gambler, can play for
  points
• And while I was playing bingo for real I would be
  playing slots for fun and the points mounted up
  and mounted up and mounted up but when you
  started playing for real money, it didnt work
  like thatyou know you start to look at the small
  print and then it does tell you that when you are
  playing for points that the odds are different
  than when you are playing for real moneyyou get
  yourself into a false sense of security and I
  think that was the way in which it started with
  me, I though oh, if I was doing this for money I
  would be really well off. Pam (PG)
• Easy way to socialise safely, make friends, have
  fun
• So then I got involved with the forums and
  chatting about things and theres quite a lot of
  us and actually theres more girls probably than
  what you think, purely of course because they
  don't go out if they have got kids Its like
  bingo I suppose, a lot of people play bingo now
  instead of going out because going out to
  actually play it is probably more dangerousYou
  know, you can go down the high street anywhere
  and get stabbed or something, you never know and
  at least I am in the security of my own home.
  Maggie (FG)

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Not real money the bad thing with that is, I
think you can bet a lot more money because it
doesnt seem to you know, because you are not
handing it overyou will get a cheque-fold or a
raise, and then you just move it over and it's
all in. I mean it's so easy. I think if you had
the real money in front of you, I dont think you
would be so easilyI wouldnt be able to do it so
nonchalantly You need to make it seem real, and
then that might make you more rational about your
decision. Rebecca (PG) No limits/ multiple
game play when I was playing poker, I very
rarely played less than three hands at once, or
three games at once, and you cant do that in a
live gameI would do that for hours and hours and
hours and hours at a time. It was just quite
incredible. Stephanie (PG)
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No or few external checks or controls he didnt
really know about it because Id sleep all
morning and then when he come home from work Id
be awake and then hed go to bed and sometimes
Id pretend to go to bed and then Id get upHe
had no idea and if he woke upI always used to
open an internet page and keep it at the bottom
and it might be on EBay and if he woke up, Id
just put my screen up and pretend I were looking
on EBay you see. I mean he once caught me
looking at Doomsday book - I think he thought I
had gone mad! Andrea (PG) Use of internet means
constant pop ups, emails, makes it harder to give
up, easier to relapse, just a click of the
mouse I then stayed away from it for maybe about
6 months, 8 months um and then I had been on the
computer again one day and a pop-up came on for
XXX Bingo site and the next thing I knew I was
on to the XXX Bingo site um and before I knew
it I was gamblingPam (PG)