Til Debt Do Us Part: Comparing Gambling Harms Between Gamblers and Their Spouses

This study compared the experience of gambling related harms between gamblers and spouses, whilst taking into account gender and problem gambling severity. Participants ( N = 5036, 2603 females) from Australia and New Zealand completed a retrospective survey that probed the prevalence of specific harms from gambling within six harm domains (financial, work/study, health, emotional/psychological, relationship, and social deviance). Overall there was a similar count of total harms reported across all domains experienced by spouses (vs gamblers), however the types and patterns of harms reported were markedly different. Spouses reported the highest number of harms within the emotional/psychological and relationship domains, whereas gamblers experienced a higher number of harms in all other domains. Spouses were five to six times more likely to report increased conflict in their relationship due to gambling, greater relationship tension, and ending a relationship. In comparison, gamblers reported more severe health-related harms, such as suicide attempts and increased alcohol consumption. The findings highlight the unique ways in which gamblers and their spouses each respond to the presence of gambling problems.