Toronto Study Suggests That People With Problem Gambling is Much More Likely To Become Homeless

Gambling addictions can make the difference between keeping one’s home or living on the streets instead, according to Toronto study.

Researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital claimed that they’ve found evidence that proves the link between problem gambling and the increased possibility of ending homeless.

This groundbreaking study made it into the gambling news and with its assumption that people with bad gambling habits are nine times more likely to become homeless.

The study was published last year in the Journal of Gambling Studies, and it studied 254 clients of the Good Shepherd Ministries in Toronto, which is a service helping homeless.

The conclusions

Dr. Flora Matheson, researcher at St. Michael’s Centre for Research on Inner City Health, commented in a press release: “Intuitively, one might think there’s a connection between problem gambling and homelessness but very few studies have explored this in any depth.”

Additionally: “By doing this kind of research, we help community organizations to better understand their clients and provide more holistic, effective treatment.”

Matheson proposed to shelters to implement various screenings for addictions to land-based and online casinos in Canada, so that these people are given the chance to overcome their problems in the area.

She added: “Toronto shelters now have a sense of how important screening for gambling history is among people who are homeless. Further research is still needed to know whether similar rates exist across the country or the globe.”