Pathologic gambling and bankruptcy

Abstract

Background

Although prior studies have examined rates of bankruptcy in pathologic gambling (PG), there are only limited data regarding the clinical correlates of those with PG who declare bankruptcy because of gambling.

Method

Five hundred seventeen consecutive subjects with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, PG (54.7% females; mean age 47.6 years) were grouped into 2 categories: those who had (n = 93; 18.0%) and had not (n = 424; 82.0%) declared bankruptcy secondary to gambling. Groups were compared on clinical characteristics, gambling severity (using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for Pathological Gambling, Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale; Clinical Global Impression—severity scale, and time and money spent gambling), and psychiatric comorbidity.

Results

Gamblers who had declared bankruptcy were more likely to be single (P = .004); have an earlier age of problem gambling onset (P = .032); and have more financial (P < .001), work-related (P = .006), marital (P < .001), and legal (P < .001) problems secondary to their gambling. They also reported higher rates of depressive disorders (P < .001), substance use disorders (P = .005) and were more likely to be daily users of nicotine (P = .022). Money spent gambling did not differ significantly between groups.

Conclusion

These preliminary results suggest that bankruptcy in PG may be associated with specific clinical differences. Treatment strategies may want to assess bankruptcy status to develop more effective treatments that take account of these clinical differences.

Introduction

Most Americans, about 86%, report having gambled once in their lifetime [1]. Most people gamble for recreational purposes without the behavior becoming a problem. Research studies, however, estimate that 0.4% to 1.6% of the US population suffer from pathologic gambling (PG) [2], [3], a persistent and recurrent maladaptive pattern of gambling behavior [4]. Pathologic gambling is commonly associated with relationship problems [5], [6], employment issues [7], and significant financial difficulties [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12].

Because money is the catalyst for gambling behavior, a main financial problem that gamblers face is debt, and debt often leads to bankruptcy. As legalized gambling has increased, so too have the rates of personal bankruptcy filings. Before 1988, Nevada and New Jersey were the only states that had legalized forms of casino gambling [13]. In 1999, 48 states allowed some form of legalized gambling [14]. Between the years of 1980 and 2005, personal bankruptcy filings in the United States increased approximately 350% [8].

There is little research, however, on the relationship between PG and personal bankruptcy. According to the Gambling Impact and Behavior Study, 19.2% of pathologic gamblers have filed bankruptcy, whereas only 5.5% and 4.7% of low-risk and at-risk gamblers, respectively, have filed bankruptcy [7]. Studies have also shown that 18% to 28% of males and 8% of females attending Gamblers Anonymous have filed bankruptcy [7]. Similarly, Breen and Zimmerman [15] found that 18.2% of pathologic gamblers had declared bankruptcy with an average debt of $42 750 (debts ranged from $17 000 to $80 000). In a replication study 2 years later, Breen [16] found that a higher percentage (22.8%) of pathologic gamblers had declared bankruptcy with an average debt of $53 103 (debts ranging from $5 000 to $250 000).

Although many individuals with PG face financial problems, most do not declare bankruptcy. However, bankruptcy may be an important symptom in PG because it may be a behavioral marker of a more severe variant. To better understand and effectively treat problem gambling, it is important to investigate the differences between individuals with PG who do and do not declare bankruptcy. Do gamblers who declare bankruptcy have more financial difficulties or legal problems? Are they more likely to struggle with substance abuse issues? Are they more likely to stick with one type of gambling rather than to multiple forms of gambling? To answers these questions and to obtain a better grasp on the complexity of PG, we examined in the current study the clinical characteristics of individuals with PG who have and have not declared bankruptcy because of their gambling.