Cross-border gambling as late-life leisure: social practices, mobility, and moral tensions in a Thai–Cambodian borderland
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v76.118475Keywords:
Late-life leisure, gambling behavior, recreational vacuum, older adults, Thai–Cambodian borderAbstract
Introduction: Gambling among older adults is often interpreted through moral or legal lenses, yet its role as a socially embedded form of late-life leisure remains underexplored, particularly in borderland contexts characterized by high mobility and limited recreational alternatives.
Objective: This study examined gambling behavior among older adults in a Thai–Cambodian borderland, focusing on patterns and prevalence of participation, mobility-based accessibility, socio-psychological motivations, and perceived impacts on individual well-being and family dynamics.
Methodology: A mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 440 community-dwelling older adults in Si Sa Ket Province using multi-stage sampling, complemented by in-depth interviews with 132 older adults, family members, and community leaders.
Results: Findings revealed a 41.6% lifetime prevalence of gambling, with high awareness of informal shuttle-van mobility systems facilitating access to gambling venues (78.2%). Gambling functioned primarily as coping leisure driven by social engagement and excitement (mean = 4.12) and alleviation of loneliness (mean = 3.95). A paradox of impact was evident, as temporary subjective gratification (43.4%) coexisted with chronic emotional strain (67.2%) and financial depletion (67.8%).
Discussion: The results demonstrate how structural accessibility and a persistent recreational vacuum normalize gambling as a late-life leisure practice in borderland settings.
Conclusions: Gambling among older adults reflects a socio-moral disjunction between normative prohibitions and lived realities, underscoring the need for inclusive and culturally resonant leisure infrastructures to mitigate social isolation in later life.
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