Resources - Mature Market Headlines

Aggresive casino marketing targets the elderly

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 8/5/07

Abstract:

For years, the games were his mistress, luring him away from family and friends, work and responsibilities.

He would sit — bleary-eyed, tired and smelling of stale smoke and nervous perspiration — for marathon sessions that stretched from hours into days because he was afraid of missing the jackpot that would change his life forever...

...Phil K., a member of Gamblers Anonymous who adheres to the organization's code and will not reveal his last name, is among a growing number of older gamblers at risk of wagering away their lives at legal games available in 48 states and the District of Columbia...

...A 1975 study showed 35 percent of adults 65 and older had gambled in their lifetime. In contrast, a 1998 study indicated that 80 percent of older adults had gambled within the past year. A 2001 survey showed that 81 percent of adults 51 to 60 and 69 percent of those 61 and older had gambled within the past year.

> Read the full story > Return to 50+ Headlines