About three to six per cent of the population experiences
problem gambling, but the incidence is much higher
within lower - income populations.
While these studies suggest that
problem gambling is a risk factor for IPV, different findings were reported in the first published study to examine
problem gambling and IPV victimisation between both partners
within an intimate relationship (Schluter et al. 2008).
These results seem to support the hypotheses that
problem gambling directly or indirectly leads to family violence perpetration by the
problem gambler as a manifestation of financial stress and crisis
within the home (Afifi et al., 2010; Korman et al., 2008; Muelleman et al., 2002) and that
problem gambling directly or indirectly leads to family violence victimisation towards the
problem gambler as a manifestation of family conflict related to stressors caused by
problem gambling activity, such as lack of trust (Echeburua et al., 2011; Korman et al., 2008).