Background Memo  

The most recent poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University 's PublicMind was conducted by telephone from January 16 through April 18 using a randomly selected sample of 700 adults aged 55 and over. The sampling error for 700 adults is +/- 4 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence; the error for subgroups of the 700 is even higher.  Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. Interviews were conducted by TMR, Inc. of Cedar Knolls, NJ.  Professionally trained interviewers use a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system.  Random selection is achieved through computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected. Results are also mathematically weighted to match known demographics.

The questions included in this release are as follows:

Have you ever played a game at a casino such as slots or poker or roulette?

• Yes
• No

About how often did you play games at a casino in the past year?

• Daily
• Several times a week
• About once a week
• Several times a month
• Once a month or less
• Only a few days all year
• Not at all in the past year

Have you played a game at a casino in the past 5 years?

• Yes
• No

When you visit a casino, what do you usually spend most of your time playing? [OPEN-ENDED, PRECODED] [PROMPT FOR NON-RECENT GAMBLERS: When you used to go, what did you usually play?]

• Slots
• Bingo
• Video poker
• Craps
• Blackjack
• Spanish 21
• Roulette
• Baccarat/mini-baccarat
• Poker [Includes Caribbean stud poker, three card poker, let it ride and pai gow poker]
• Off-track betting (OTB)
• Pai gow tiles (PG)
• Sic bo (SB)
• Keno (K)
• Big six wheel (B6)
• Other

On average, about how much money would you say you spend in casinos a week or a month? [PROMPT FOR NON-RECENT GAMBLERS: When you used to go.] [OPEN-ENDED]

• $x/day
• $x/week
• $x/month
• $x/year

Have you ever spent money on lottery tickets like scratch-offs, Mega Millions or Pick 6 Lotto?

• Yes
• No

About how often did you spend money on lottery tickets in the past year?

• Daily
• Several times a week
• About once a week
• Several times a month
• Once a month or less
• Only a few days all year
• Or not at all in the past year

What lottery game do you play most often? [PROMPT: When you used to play.]

• Instant/scratch-off games or
• Pick a number game
• Other

On average, about how much money would you say you spend on lottery games in a day or a week? [PROMPT FOR NON-RECENT GAMBLERS: When you used to play.] [OPEN-ENDED]

• $x/day
• $x/week
• $x/month
• $x/year

Have you ever played bingo for money outside a casino? [PROMPT IF NECESSARY: Some casinos offer bingo; what I'm talking about is bingo for money somewhere else.]

• Yes
• No

In the past year have you placed any other kind of bet or played any other kind of game for money I haven't mentioned?

• Yes
• No

Would you please tell me which of the following is the most important reason you don't gamble? 

• Not interested or it's not fun
• It's inconvenient or you live too far away
• Moral or ethical concerns
• The possibility of losing money
• None of these

Problem Gambling Definitions and Screening Questions

In order to identify the prevalence of disordered or unsafe gamblers among New Jersey senior gamblers, the survey asked a series of questions used in the Florida Senior Problem Gambling Screen (FSPGS), which is based on the NORC DSM-IV Screen for Gambling Problems (Volberg 2003, 46). Answers to these questions were used to define different populations of gamblers in the sample:

• Safe Gamblers are those who said they participate in one or more gambling activities and who answered “no” to every one of the FSPGS questions.
• Unsafe or Disordered Gamblers are those who said they participate in one or more gambling activities and who answered “yes” to one or more of the FSPGS questions. This group is divided into three groups based on the number of “yes” responses to FSPGS questions:
• Pathological Gamblers are those who answered “yes” to five or more of the nine FSPGS questions,
• Problem Gamblers are those who answered “yes” to three or four of the nine FSPGS questions, and
• At-Risk Gamblers are those who answered “yes” to one or two of the nine FSPGS questions.

Volberg, Rachel A. 2003. “Gambling and Problem Gambling Among Seniors in Florida .” Gemini Research. Maitland , FL : Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc.

Have you often gambled to win back money you lost on a previous day?

• Yes
• No

Have you ever borrowed money using your credit cards to get money to gamble or pay gambling debts?

• Yes     
• No

Have there ever been periods when you needed to gamble with increasing amounts, or make larger bets than before, in order to get the same feeling of excitement?

• Yes     
• No

Have there ever been periods lasting 2 weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences or planning future gambling ventures or bets?

• Yes     
• No

Have you ever tried to stop, cut down, or control your gambling?

• Yes     
• No

Has your gambling ever caused serious or repeated problems in your relationships with any of your family members or friends?

• Yes     
• No

Have you ever gambled as a way to escape from personal problems?

• Yes
• No

Have you ever experienced feelings of shame related to your gambling?

• Yes     
• No

Have you ever lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble or how much you lost on gambling?

• Yes     
• No

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results