ABSTRACT
This study sheds light on women gamblers’ experiences accessing a Gambling Therapy (GT) helpline. Gambling has become a significant and growing public health issue, but less than 10% of problem gamblers decide to start treatment in addiction centers. Therefore, it is important to develop alternative approaches to reach a greater number of individuals with gambling disorders. Previous literature has suggested that helplines can be a good point of reference for gamblers. This chapter will describe how the GT helpline works. Given that historically gambling studies focus on male samples and tend to generalize the outcomes to the female population, this chapter will focus on women gamblers’ access to treatment. For the current study, statistical analysis was performed on sociodemographic and gambling-related information registered by GT helpline staff after each call between January 2021 and December 2021 on 3,415 service users, 647 of which were women. Another important aim of this chapter is to give voice to the subjective experience of women who access the GT helpline.
