NZ women gamblers top survey of helplines (article)
NZ women gamblers top survey of helplines
TUESDAY , 19 SEPTEMBER 2006
By ANNA CHALMERS
Women using gambling helpline services in New Zealand outnumber men and top worldwide figures, according to a survey.
New Zealand showed the largest female skew of gamblers – 58 percent of Kiwi users – in the survey of 22 international gambling helplines.New Zealand Gambling Helpline chief executive Krista Ferguson said the agency’s high rate of women clients was likely because of poker machines.
Women appeared more attracted to pokies, which were not as prevalent in other countries, and less masculine than traditional forms of gambling such as sports betting, she said.
"(The machines) offer the ability to numb yourself – get away from the daily stress and go into a trance-like state." Britain and Sweden reported more than 80 percent of helpline users were men. Ms Ferguson said the countries had virtually no poker machines and gambling was largely related to sports.
Research last year found that women had risen to more than half of problem gamblers in New Zealand from about 20 percent a decade ago. Gambling researcher Max Abbott said the group with the worst incidence of pathological gambling were those aged 25 to 35, and increasingly women.
Internal Affairs is seeking a week-long shut down of a Dunedin casino, which allowed a mother-of-two to gamble $6.6 million. She lost a net $400,000 over three years.
Mrs Ferguson said the Health Minister needed to consider the growing rates of women gamblers as part of its review into gambling services, which was receiving submissions till the end of this month.
