DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) – The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) released a new study on gambling among Iowa adults.
Gambling Attitudes and Behaviors: A 2015 Survey of Adult Iowans, prepared by the University of Northern Iowa Center for Social and Behavioral Research, estimates almost 1.6 million adult Iowans gambled during the past 12 months. Of that number, about 13 percent, or about 294,000 adult Iowans are classified as ‘at-risk’- meaning they may be experiencing some symptoms of problem gambling. These figures are down from the 2013 survey, which found 1.8 million adults Iowans had gambled during past 12 months and 16 percent could be classified as at-risk.
“We know the majority of Iowans who gamble do so because it’s fun and they do not have financial or emotional problems as a result of it,” said Eric Preuss of the IDPH Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention. “It’s encouraging that fewer Iowans are gambling, but it’s still concerning that of those surveyed, about one in four said they know someone whose gambling may be causing problems for him or her.” In addition, about one in seven adult Iowans said they have been negatively affected by someone else’s gambling.
Symptoms of problem gambling include:
· Thinking a lot about gambling, such as past gambling experiences, future gambling ventures, or ways of getting money for gambling
· Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or with larger bets in order to get the same feeling of excitement
· Repeatedly trying to cut down or stop gambling without success
· Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling
· Gambling to run away from problems or to get relief from feeling depressed, anxious, or bad about yourself
· After losing money gambling, often returning another day in order to win back losses
· Lying to family members, friends, or others in order to hide gambling from them
· Losing or almost losing a significant relationship, job, or an educational or career opportunity because of gambling
· Relying on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling
This year, the bi-annual survey looked at fantasy sports in Iowa. While fewer than one in 10 adult Iowans reported taking part in fantasy sports in the past 12 months, those who did (91 percent) were engaged in another type of gambling activity as well, such as casino gambling, slot machines or scratch tickets. Among all adult Iowans, fantasy sports players were more likely than non-fantasy sports players to be an at-risk gambler; 19 percent of fantasy sport players were classified at-risk compared to 12 percent of non-fantasy sports players.
To see the entire Gambling Attitudes and Behaviors: A 2015 Survey of Adult Iowans report, visit www.idph.iowa.gov/Portals/1/userfiles/83/Reports%20and%20Studies/Gambling%20Attitudes%20and%20Behaviors%20Survey%202015.zip.
The IDPH Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention works to reduce the harm caused by problem gambling by funding a range of services for Iowans. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-BETS OFF or go to www.1800BETSOFF.org.
