For poorer : how men experience, understand and respond to problematic aspects of a partner’s gambling

Gambling is now big business in Australia and public expenditure on gambling is high. While many people gamble within their means, some are unable to control the extent of their gambling and thus create difficulties, not only for themselves but for their marital or de facto partners. The present study aimed to explore the experiences, understandings and coping responses of men who had concerns about a partner’s gambling. Various recruitment strategies were employed in an effort to attract a diverse group of participants. The final sample comprised thirteen men who had different attitudes and behaviours in regard to gambling and were in different types of relationship. Data were gathered by means of in-depth interviews and then subjected to thematic analysis. Findings from the study illuminate how these men became aware of their partner’s gambling, their understandings regarding the causes of the gambling, the financial, psychological and social stressors they encountered as a result of the gambling and the coping strategies they deployed in order to minimize gambling-related harm. Overall, the findings indicate that men are not only the victims and enablers of a partner’s problem gambling but sources of informal help and care. Implications for community education programs, formal services and Australian law are discussed