The Guardian – Gambling addiction was a contributing factor in nearly 130 suicides in Victoria over the past decade, according to figures released by the Victorian coroner.
The report identified 128 gambling-related suicides between January 2000 and December 2012. Almost all – 126 – were of people with a gambling addiction, while two were of people who were adversely affected by a partner’s problem gambling.
Men accounted for 84% of the suicide toll, with the figure peaking for those aged between 30 and 39.
While the coroner could not identify the type of gambling engaged in by 105 of the people who took their lives, of the remaining 23 deaths, 19 were linked to poker machine addiction. Two deaths were linked to TAB gambling, one to online gambling and one to roulette wheels.
In addition to the suicides, the coroner reported two murders linked to problem gambling, in which someone with a gambling addiction killed their partner before committing suicide.
A 2010 report suggested that gambling was a factor for one in five suicidal hospital patients in Victoria.
Poker machines have been regularly cited as the leading cause of problem gambling in Victoria. Last year, $2.49bn was spent on Victoria’s 26,000 poker machines – down $184m on the previous year. The Victorian government has removed all ATMs from gambling venues.
The coroner’s report shows that gambling-related suicides may be on a downward trend, with two suicides in 2012 and five in 2011, compared with 17 in 2001 and 16 in both 2002 and 2003.
