The marketing of gambling to the elderly presents unique problems that should be addressed by state regulators and nursing home operators, a University of Illinois legal scholar asserts. Promotions that target the elderly have become a highly specialized business, according to Erika Gosker. Casino bus services, buffet discounts and giveaway promotions often coincide with the receipt of pension and Social Security checks. As a result, as many as 95 percent of the people going to casinos during the week on tour buses are now retired or senior citizens. This clientele is especially vulnerable to the lure of betting, Gosker asserts.
Many senior citizens gamble because they are bored and lonely.
Loneliness represents the most common characteristics among the elderly that direct marketers cite as a reason to target the age group. In addition, casinos target the elderly because they have time to visit casinos. Similarly, direct marketers target the elderly because they have the time to listen to the marketers' promotions. Easy access to casinos as well as to state lottery games increases the probability that some of the elderly may become problem gamblers. Gosker singles out state lottery ads that focus on the size of the jackpot and fail to disclose the slim odds of winning as especially pernicious.