Gambling Seniors and the Family Context

The article presents some of the results of surveys on the gambling activity of seniors in Poland.[1] Research on 80 respondents aged 60+ was conducted using an in-depth qualitative interview method. The article presents the results of the family context of gambling seniors. The following aspects linking family factors to elderly people who gamble have been taken into account: family conditions that initiate gambling among seniors, family factors that motivate gambling, family attitudes towards gambling by seniors, and the consequences of gambling on family life. Gamblers often saw gambling practices in their own family homes, and so gambling practiced in old age may be a way of escaping from loneliness or be a source of hope for improving their financial situation and helping relatives. Gambling in extreme cases contributes to the breakup of the family, and often causes conflicts among family members. Relatives show different attitudes towards gambling, from tolerance and downplaying to severe opposition (depending on the severity of gambling by a senior).   [1] The study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 within the “Gambling in the lives of seniors” project implemented by KUL and co-financed by the Gambling Problem Solving Fund at the disposal of the Minister of Health.