Gambling-motivated crimes are usually non-violent and financially driven to keep gambling and/or to pay off debts related to gambling. The purpose of this study was to examine whether gambling-related harms and gambling-motivated crime vary by gender. The researchers surveyed 195 active members of Gamblers Anonymous.
Over 56% of respondents committed a gambling-motivated crime. Crimes motivated by gambling were mostly related to acquiring money or items. Most respondents were never convicted of any crimes. Only 15% reported that they had been arrested, and 6% were facing current charges. Respondents who committed a crime experienced an average of five types of social and economic gambling-related harms. In comparison, those who did not commit a crime experienced an average of three types of gambling-related harms. There were no differences in the number of gambling-related harms reported by men and women. Respondents who borrowed money to gamble or to pay off gambling debts were two times more likely to commit a crime than those who did not borrow money.
