Seniors and gambling : pleasure or addiction. A French example

Résumé En

The gambling industry has grown steadily in France, in particular since the new regulation of the online gambling in 2010. Seniors are commonly regarded as a high-risk population. Gaming indeed constitutes one of the most frequent leisure-time activities for seniors, who are an attractive target group for the gaming operators. If they have been much less described and analyzed than those of the younger generations, the seniors' playful practices can be as problematical. A sociological study was carried out in the Burgundy and Franche-Comte region to investigate the seniors' behaviors towards gambling and games of chance, through their representations, misbeliefs and intensity of their practices. The results of the survey demonstrate that if seniors can be regular gamblers, their practice is rather often contained and controlled. The transition from work to retirement and reduced incomes can bring about a change in the behavior of high-spending gamblers and make them restrict their practices.