Relationship Between Gambling Disorder and Poverty

Abstract

Gambling disorder is recognized as a prevalent condition that diminishes individuals’ quality of life and frequently leads to severe economic, social, and psychological problems. Similarly, poverty represents a state in which individuals struggle to meet their basic needs and emerges as a consequence of social inequalities. This demonstrates that poverty and gambling disorder not only generate economic and psychosocial difficulties at the individual level but also constitute a significant public health concern with serious consequences for society as a whole. The relationship between gambling disorder and poverty has been widely investigated in the existing literature, focusing on their reciprocal interactions. Research has shown that as poverty increases within a society, gambling behavior and gambling disorder also rise; in turn, gambling disorder drives individuals into poverty, thereby perpetuating a vicious cycle. In this review, literature published between 1990 and 2025 was examined through PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Turkish National Thesis Center databases. The review addresses the effects of gambling disorder on poverty, the ways in which poverty shapes gambling behavior, and the multidimensional dynamics between these two phenomena. In this comprehensive analysis, no studies were found that directly addressed the relationship between types of poverty (absolute poverty, relative poverty, persistent poverty, etc.) and gambling disorder. Accordingly, in addition to existing findings, our study also discusses potential interactions between poverty types and gambling disorder.

Keywords

• gambling disorder
• poverty
• Socioeconomic status

Kumar Oynama Bozukluğu ve Yoksulluk İlişkisi

Öz

Kumar oynama bozukluğu, bireylerin yaşam kalitesini düşüren ve çoğu zaman ciddi ekonomik, sosyal ve psikolojik sorunlara yol açan yaygın bir durum olarak kabul edilmektedir. Aynı şekilde yoksulluk, bireylerin temel yaşam ihtiyaçlarını karşılamakta zorlandığı bir durum olup toplumsal eşitsizliklerin bir sonucu olarak ortaya çıkar. Bu durum göstermektedir ki yoksulluk ve kumar oynama bozukluğu, yalnızca bireysel düzeyde ekonomik ve psikososyal sorunlara yol açmakla kalmayıp, toplum genelinde ciddi sonuçlar doğuran önemli bir halk sağlığı sorunudur. Kumar oynama bozukluğu ile yoksulluk arasındaki ilişki, söz konusu iki olgunun karşılıklı etkileşimlerini inceleyen çok sayıda araştırma mevcut literatürde yer almaktadır. Araştırmalar göstermektedir ki toplumdaki yoksulluk arttıkça kumar oynama davranışı ve kumar oynama bozukluğu artmaktadır; aynı zamanda kumar oynama bozukluğu da bireyleri yoksulluğa sürükleyerek kısır bir döngüye sebep olmaktadır. Bu derlemede, 1990–2025 yılları arasında PubMed, Google Scholar ve YÖK Ulusal Tez Merkezi veri tabanlarında yayımlanmış literatür taranarak, kumar oynama bozukluğunun yoksulluğa etkileri, yoksulluğun kumar davranışını nasıl şekillendirdiği ve bu iki kavram arasındaki çok boyutlu dinamikler ele alınmaktadır. Yapılan kapsamlı değerlendirmede yoksulluk türleri (mutlak yoksulluk, göreli yoksulluk, süreğen yoksulluk vb.) ile kumar oynama bozukluğu arasındaki ilişkiyi doğrudan ele alan herhangi bir çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır. Bu bağlamda, mevcut bulguların yanı sıra, çalışmamızda yoksulluk türleri ile kumar oynama bozukluğu arasındaki olası etkileşimler de tartışılmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• kumar oynama bozukluğu
• yoksulluk
• sosyoekonomik düzey

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