Gambling in Rural and Remote South Australia

Abstract

There is a paucity of research that has examined what motivates rural and regional community members to engage in gambling, as well as what factors may impede their access to treatment for gambling. There are likely differences between rural locations and metropolitan regions. Accordingly, the aim of this review was to examine what is known from existing literature concerning people’s motivations to gamble, risk factors for gambling, and factors associated with treatment seeking and service delivery and how this might differ between rural and non-rural settings. Future research remains necessary to discover what motivates the rural population to gamble, and what prevents them from seeking gambling treatment. A better understanding of how gambling in rural and remote communities is distinct from metropolitan areas may inform appropriate and effective service delivery.