Gambling and CRIME

With the spread of gambling, the number of problem gamblers grows, accompanied by an increase of crimes related to the gambling. In the typical case, as losses mount and access to money is limited, many problem gamblers resort to crime in order to pay debts and/or obtain money to chase losses through more gambling (Meyer and Fabian, 1992). Most of these crimes committed by problem gamblers do not involve violence. However, some crimes, such as robbery and breaking and entering, may result in serious injury. Interpersonal conflicts over gambling may also result in violence. For example, if there is conflict in the home about the financial consequences of gambling or there are unpaid debts owed to individuals in the community.

Lesieur's (1995) survey of Gamblers Anonymous members found that 46% admitted to some illegal act, including writing bad checks, stealing or embezzling from their employers. Blaszczynski and Silove (1996) noted that criminal behavior among adolescent problem gamblers may be more prevalent than among adult problem gamblers, in part because youths have few options for obtaining funds and greater susceptibility to social pressure among gambling peers.

A 2004 study by the National Institute of Justice explored the link between gambling and crime found significantly more problem gambling among arrestees than in the general population. The arrestees interviewed had high levels of criminal activity related to pathological gambling. The percentage of problem gamblers was 3 to 5 times higher than in the general population. Nearly a third of the arrestees who identified as problem gamblers had committed robbery in the last year and 13 % had assaulted someone for money. The limitations of this study, however, were that only two US cities were targeted Las Vegas (high levels of gambling activity) and Des Moines (a city more representative of a midsize US city with more typical levels of gambling).

Legalized gambling in the United States over the past two decades has sparked great controversy. The relationship between gambling and crime is a complex issue and raises many questions. Does a gambling addiction significantly reduce a person's capacity to obey the law? Where does one draw the line between an inability to obey the law and failure to obey the law? Further, a German study pointed out that in many cases the criminal behavior preceded the gambling behavior and that in at least some cases the factors predisposing one to an addiction may also predispose one to criminal activity (Meyer, 1997). The links between pathological gambling and substance abuse and between substance abuse and criminal behavior also further complicates the relationship between gambling and crime.

Ashcroft, J., Daniels, D., Hart, S. "Gambling and Crime Among Arrestees: Exploring the Link." National Institute of Justice; July, 2004.

Blaszczynski, A.P. & D. Silove (1996). "Pathological Gambling: Forensic Issues." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; (30) #: 338-369.

Meyer, G. & Fabian, T. "Delinquency Among Pathological Gamblers: A Causal Approach." Journal of Gambling Studies, 1992.

Meyer, Gerhard (1997). Pathological Gambling and Criminal Behavior. Presented at the 10th International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, Montreal.