Gambling and Drinking Is a Losing Hand 

Wagerers take more risks, play longer when boozing it up 

Drinking while gambling is a bad bet.

That is the conclusion of a group of new studies that indicate that gamblers take greater risks and play longer when they are drinking, especially those with gambling problems.

Meanwhile, gambling addicts say they think of alcohol more often when they are winning. And they are better able to recover from that addiction when they also tackle their alcoholism, the studies find.

"Therapy needs to focus on finding ways to break these over-learned or 'unconscious' associations between winning and drinking," says Sherry Stewart, an associate professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

The findings, published in a recent issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, are striking in light of the fact that about half of casinos serve free drinks.

At the same time, 82 percent of Americans participated in some form of gambling in 2002, up from 61 percent in 1975, according to another study in the a recent issue of the Journal of Gambling Studies.

Casino Employees Trained to Deal With Drunk Patrons

Casino executives say they take seriously the responsibility that comes with serving alcohol. Most casino employees are trained to deal with drunk patrons, cutting off their drinking and gambling privileges, and preventing them from driving.

"The bottom line is that anyone who appears to be past their limit, we won't let them gamble. We want a fair game. We're not trying to make money off people being intoxicated," says Rob Stillwell, a spokesman for Boyd Gaming Corp., which runs 12 casinos in five states.

But the tradition of serving free drinks—legal at commercial casinos in Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Nevada—has stood for decades, and likely will not pass away.

"It's something that customers have come to expect," Stillwell says, adding that casinos also often give free meals and rooms to guests.

Still, gambling industry leaders discount the significance of the new research, since much of it applied only to pathological gamblers, who make up 1 percent to 2 percent of the gambling population.

While Stewart admits that the findings are still undergoing peer-review, that three of the four studies focused on addicted gamblers, and that most of the research was funded by gambling addiction recovery associations, she says some of the findings do apply to general gamblers.

In one study, her team brought 44 people into a simulated casino in a laboratory. Half of them were problem gamblers and half were normal gamblers. Half of each group was given moderate doses of alcohol, and all of them gambled for up to 30 minutes, using video lottery terminals. The gamblers with alcohol in their system played longer and doubled their bets more frequently.

Gamblers More Likely to Take Risks When Drinking

"Across the board for everybody, gamblers are more likely to take risks when drinking. But those with gambling problems took even greater risks," Stewart says.

When asked if such findings might persuade casinos to stop giving free drinks, American Gaming Association President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Fahrenkopf Jr. says it depends on the level of proof and guidance from state authorities.

"If there's extensive peer-reviewed research, it's clearly something that the industry and state legislators should be looking at. Remember, casinos have to be licensed," Fahrenkopf says. "But you know, the industry changes when things have been shown to be wrong."

Always consult your physician for more information.

Online Resources

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

American Cancer Society

American Gaming Association

Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association

Journal of Gambling Studies

Men's Health Network

National Council on Problem Gambling

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

North American Gaming Regulators Association

Psychosomatic Medicine