This report examines gambling and under-resourced communities living near casinos. It focuses on Hispanic communities living in Springfield, Massachusetts. Hispanic communities are disproportionately affected by problem gambling. The purpose of the study was:
- To describe the life context of Hispanic individuals living in Springfield
- To find ways to include the experiences of Hispanic individuals affected by problem gambling into interventions
- To understand the effects of including lived experiences in interventions
The researchers conducted a community-based study. They found that the community dealt with many life stressors. Individuals may gamble to cope with life stresses. This could lead to problem gambling. The report recommends:
- Adopt context-level actions to reduce social and health inequities that can lead to problem gambling
- Providing resources to support the community's ability to cope with life stressors
- Embrace community cultures and address racism in interventions for problem gambling
The report promotes including lived experiences interventions to reduce problem gambling.
The report presentation and a Research Snapshot of the report are available here.
