Seniors May Benefit from Pittsburgh Casino

As reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "…With Allegheny County having the nation's second-highest concentration of senior citizens, and with Pittsburgh poised to get one of the state's 14 casino licenses, it's only natural more seniors will begin playing the slots.

"And some say that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"Gambling gets them out of the house and keeps their minds sharp, social scientists said. It's just that people on fixed incomes need to keep in mind how much they can afford to gamble.

"'Most of the seniors, including my 91-year-old mother, go to casinos, play the slots, and it's a social event,' said Ronald Karpin, senior gambling consultant with the Council on Compulsive Gambling in New Jersey.

"…The natural response is to fear older gamblers will lose their rent money, [Cynthia Zubritsky, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania], but as a group they tend to be more aware of how much they can afford…"

2006-06-26