Citizens for Better Care
Elder Abuse Prevention Education
Elder Abuse Issues Associated with
Casino Gambling
Elder Abuse Relevancy.
Each state may have different legal definitions of elder abuse. In Michigan,
adult abuse is basically harm or threatened harm to the health or welfare of
a vulnerable adult . Vulnerability applies to mentally or physically
impairment or suffering from the frailties of old age. We are generally
speaking of adults 60 years of age or older who are mentally or physically
impaired. The basic purpose is to protect the rights of these seniors
including the right to self determination and decision making. The adult
protective services law, and adult protective services within the Family
Independence agency are this states basic protection tools. The law defines
several types of abuse i.e. physical, mental, neglect, self neglect, and
exploitation- the latter being the misuse of one*s property, assets, or
personal dignity. Financial exploitation seems at first glance to be the most
relevant in the context of casino gambling, but because gambling may result
in loss of means for meeting basic human needs, self neglect could be another
basis for protection of a vulnerable elder person.
Expert Opinion.
Experts in elder abuse, such as Rosalie Wolf, University of Massachusetts,
indicate that there is no significant literature on casino gambling as an
elder abuse issue. However, some experts see casino gambling as akin to
sweepstakes and telemarketing which targets seniors who are willing or
anxious to take gambles on scams. Currently there is a growing national focus
on the sweepstake problem, with lead being taken by Senator Collins in the
United States Senate. It appears that casino gambling has not been seen by
most experts as an elder abuse issue. However, statistical inquiry has been
lacking, and adult protective services does not pick up gambling in its data
base. Gambling as an addiction is increasingly recognized but not
specifically as an elder abuse phenomenon.
Casino Gambling per se.
In and of itself, casino gambling is recognized as a form of recreation which
is legal and socially accepted among many groups of seniors. Citizens for
Better Care*s (CBC) concern addresses forms of exploitation or abuse
associated with gambling. Where other forms of exploitation reach seniors
individually or in their homes, casino gambling problems.often occurs with
groups of seniors. It is common for senior centers throughout the state to
bus seniors to a casino. These trip expenses are subsidized and seen as an
important part of recreational programming by local senior officials. Often
the casinos actually pay seniors to get them started. The casinos maintain
strong security on the premises but probably for the main purpose of
protecting casino assets. Often seniors are bussed into casinos in groups,
making it easier for more vulnerable seniors to have access. Casinos depend
heavily on their senior clientele. Unlike the lottery, the casino experience
can also meet senior needs for socialization . The congregation of seniors
gives perpetrators an opportunity to prey on potential victims in various
ways on or just off the premises.
Examples of Elder Abuse and Exploitation
(1) A senior gambles to the extent that basic necessities of food , shelter,
and medicine can no longer be provided. If this senior is vulnerable
according to the law, this could be a case of self neglect.
Prevention steps would include conspicuous postings of gambling dangers
within senior centers, postings within casinos, training of senior and casino
staff in indicators of abuse gambling, training of protective services
staffs to include gambling in their case assessments, inclusion of gambling
factors incidence in programming reporting, and training in the resources
available to deal with this particular type of problem.
(2) Gamblers in the household of a senior exploit the senior financially to support their gambling habits. Such exploitation can take the form of stealing, extortion, physical or mental abuse. General prevention and reporting techniques apply here, including training in gambling and financial institutions to recognize signs of such exploitation.
(3) Mentally impaired seniors may be cajoled, pressured, or coerced into gambling by facility or others who hope to profit from their winnings. This is financial exploitation possibly augmented by other forms of abuse. General prevention and reporting techniques apply here, including training in gambling and financial institutions to recognize signs of such exploitation and surveilance by law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
(4) Impaired seniors may be potted and marked in the gambling casino for future exploitation or abuse outside the casino. General prevention and reporting techniques apply here, including training in gambling and financial institutions to recognize signs of such exploitation and surveilance by law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
(5) The vulnerable senior may be, or become, an addict. While this is not considered senior abuse, it is an illness warranting treatment. Further, the addiction may be accompanied by other problems to justify a report as self-abuse so that a comprehensive case assessment and treatment plan can be made.
Elder Abuse Research and Program Evaluation. Program or demographic information, evaluation and research on senior abuse and exploitation in gambling environments is needed to assess the extent of the problem in this context.
Conclusions.
Potentially, as gambling opportunities grow with the proliferation of gaming
establishments, serious abuse and exploitation problems loom ahead for
vulnerable and impaired seniors. We do not now have adequate information to
assess the extent of the existing problem and we lack the means currently to
better assess the problem. However, in attacking these problems, the basic
right of seniors to self determination and enjoyment of a legal form of
entertainment needs to be respected.
--Update Adult Protective Services (APS) manuals to include the possibility of abuse and exploitation, and train APS staffs in assessing for its relevance in adult abuse cases and in recognizing and using appropriate resources.
--Consider elder abuse and exploitation prevention policy in senior centers and casinos to build in safeguards and alerts at senior centers and casinos.
--Develop public information tools to address the problem, such as warning and reporting posters prominently displayed in casinos and senior centers and update exploitation brochures to identify the potential problems.
--Train casino security and senior center personnel in indicators which may suggest gambling induced elder abuse and exploitation and give rise to reporting to adult protective services.
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Last modified May 5, 1999
