The Israeli –Association For the Prevention of Compulsive Gambling.
The 11th International Conference on gambling and Risk Taking
Presentation By Pnina Eldar General Director Eldar Center
Las Vegas, Nevada .12-16 June, 2000
Gambling Habits Among the Adult Jewish Population in Israel.
Survey conducted by Dr. Mina Zemach Dachaf Institute Israel
This is the first research study of its kind on the compulsive gambling habits of adult Israelis and on the economic and social ramifications of these habits.
Over the past decade, compulsive gambling has developed into a serious problem affecting all segments of Israeli society. Israelis of both sexes and of all ages- including both pensioners and adolescents- are steadily exposed to a wide range of legal gambling options- such as national lotteries, scratch - and - win cards, Lotto and Toto lotteries- as well as to various forms of illegal gambling organized in gambling house, casinos (both “official” and “unofficial”) and “clubs” or on board “floating casinos”.
The phenomenon of compulsive gambling in Israel has intensified over the past two years in the wake of the opening of a casino in Jericho in the Palestinian Authority. The casino attracts thousands of patrons each day and 90% of them are Israelis who lost some two billion dollars in the course of 1999.
Another major, albeit legal, factor that promotes compulsive gambling in Israel is the country’s national lottery- Mif’al Hapa’is- that absorbs a billion and a half dollars each year from Israeli citizens.
A recent development is the increase in the number of female gamblers in Israel. Among those requesting counseling and treatment of compulsive gambling, 30% are women aged forty and over.
The research study presents the extent of the problem, the forms and frequency of gambling activity in Israel, and the chief charachteristics of the typical Israeli compulsive gambler.
Submitted by:
Pnina Eldar, Executive Director, The Eldar Center for Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation, Israel.
The three most popular games are the Lottery, Lotto and Mif’al Hapais and Toto forms.The following table shows the participation frequency in luck games according to their popularity. At least once Up to a few Once a Once every Less A week times per month few months frequently Lotto 14.9 5.0 8.0 11.6 13.6 Pais forms 13.5 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.6 Toto 10.7 2.3 3.3 6.3 9.4 Chish gad 3.2 0.8 4.7 4.2 9.8 Chance 3.0 0.4 1.3 1.5 4.1 Cards in private houses 2.8 0.9 3.2 2.8 5.7 Casino, in Jericho or abroad 0.6 0.4 0.3 2.2 19.7 Slot machines 0.3 - 0.4 0.9 4.4 Cards in private clubs 0.1 - - 0.1 0.5 Telephone sport betting - - - 0.1 0.1 Cross correlation of the socio-demographic groups show the following: 1. More men than women participate in games of luck.s75% of men vs. 64% of women take part in some form of such games.37% of men vs. 26% of women participate in these games at least once a week.
2. There is a negative correlation between age and the frequency of participation in some form of game. The rate is highest in the 18-30 year old age group (77%), decreases to 71-72% within the 31-55 age group (there is no difference in the 31-40 or 41-55 agegroup) and continues to decline to 55% in the 56+ age group.Nevertheless, the middle aged group has a relatively higher level of participants in the once a week category. 32% of the 31-40 age group and 37% of the 41-55 age group as compared to 29% of the younger age group, 18-30 and 24% of the oldest age group, 56+. We can therefore, see that within the middle aged group there are less players in comparison to the older and younger ages but within those who do play, the frequency is higher than in the other groups. 3. A type II correlation has been found between the level of religiousness and thepercentage ofparticipants in luck games, from 62% among the religious to 76% among the traditionals and down to 69% among the seculars. Among the traditionals, the percentage of frequent players also rises, to at least once a week (39% vs. 26% among the religious and 28% among the seculars.4. Employed people play more often than unemployed (74% vs. 64%). As to the Frequency, 33%of the employed vs. 27% of the unemployed play at least once a week. It is safe to assume that the age difference between the two groups is one of the variables that explain the difference between then as to the participation extent in these Games. The Initial Games in Which Players Started Participation , and the Age of Initiation. To those who admitted to playing only occasionally, two more questions were forwarded.1.Of all the lotteries and different games of luck, what was the first game you participated in before playing any of the others? And 2. At what age did you participate in your first game? Tables 3 and 4 present the findings. Table 3: The division according to the kind of game/lottery first participated in. Lotto 31% Toto 22% Pais form 12% Card games in private houses 6% Chish Gad 4% Chance 1% Casinos abroad 1% Didn’t answer 23% Total 100%
Table 4: The division being all the respondents plus a group that was brought in to games of luck through other games- according to the age at which they were initiated. All respondents Mif’al Hapais Toto Casino Cards in private Lotteries houses 18-21 58 49% 72% 23% 86% 22-25 9 11% 4% 31% 7% 26-30 9 11% 9% 8% - 31-40 8 10% 5% 23% - 41-50 4 5% 4% - - 51-60 3 4% 2% - 2% 61-65 - - - - - 66+ 1 1% - 15% - Didn’t respond 8% 9% 5% - 5% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Average age 23.7 25.9 20.2 32.0 16.5
From tables 3 and 4 we see that:a. The Lotto and Toto games increased the level of participation in the lottery. AlthoughPais appeared on the Israeli market before the Lotto and Toto, it was found that more than half (53%) of luck game participants were initiated by the Lotto (31%) or Toto (22%). Only 12% were initiated by the Pais. b. All in all 70% (91% of respondents) reported initiation from Pais and Lotto or Toto participation. 6% (8% of all respondents) were initiated by private card games 1% (1.5% of all respondents) initiated the ‘track’ in casino games. c. The average age of (the adult Jewish Israeli) initiation is 23.7.58% started between 18-21 and in total, three fourths (or 76%) of players started under the age of 30. d. Differences were found between the kind of game and the age of initiation to them.The following is a list of different games according to the average age by which players were ‘brought in’ to the world or gaming Private house card games Average age of initiation 16.5Toto Average age of initiation 20.2Pais Lottery Average age of initiation 25.9Casino Average age of initiation 32.0