Problem Gambling Among Australian Male Prisoners: Lifetime Prevalence, Help-Seeking, and Association With Incarceration and Aboriginality

• Date: 01 August 2018
• Author: Peter Harvey,Malcolm Battersby,Amii Larsen,Ben J. Riley
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X17740557
• Published date: 01 August 2018
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X17740557

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2018, Vol. 62(11) 3447 –3459

© The Author(s) 2017

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X17740557

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Article

Problem Gambling Among

Australian Male Prisoners:

Lifetime Prevalence,

Help-Seeking, and

Association With

Incarceration and

Aboriginality

Ben J. Riley1, Amii Larsen1, Malcolm Battersby1,

and Peter Harvey1

Abstract

Prisoners represent a group containing the highest problem gambling (PG) rate found

in any population. PG is of particular concern among Indigenous Australians. Little data

exist concerning PG rates among Indigenous Australian prisoners. The present study

aimed to address this gap in the literature by examining the lifetime prevalence of

PG among male prisoners, whilst identifying prisoners of Aboriginal background. The

EIGHT Gambling Screen (Early Intervention Gambling Health Test) was administered

to 296 prisoners across three male prisons in South Australia. Previous help-seeking

behaviour and forms of gambling were also examined. Sixty percent of prisoners

indicated a lifetime prevalence of PG with 18% reporting they were incarcerated

due to offending relating to their gambling problem. Indigenous Australian prisoners

indicated a significantly higher prevalence of PG (75%) than non-Indigenous prisoners

(57%) and reported less than half the rate of help-seeking. Given the high levels of

PG and overall low rates of help-seeking among prisoners, prisons may provide an

important opportunity to engage this high-risk population with effective treatment

programs, in particular culturally appropriate targeted interventions for Australian

Indigenous prisoners.

1Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Corresponding Author:

Ben J. Riley, Department of Health Sciences, Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders University, Block G4, The

Flats, Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia.

Email: ben.riley@sa.gov.au

740557IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X17740557International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyRiley et al.

research-article2017